


In Which Things Are...

by SaoirseAisling



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Father-Son Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 01:37:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 30,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5438678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaoirseAisling/pseuds/SaoirseAisling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div>
  <p>A fan's unofficial continuation (with the permission of the author) to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/4837094/chapters/11181781">Chapter 08</a> of <b>Where Our Intrepid Hero Doesn't Get Away</b>.</p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which Things Are Not What Was Expected...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sparklight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklight/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Where Our Intrepid Hero Doesn't Get Away](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4837094) by [sparklight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklight/pseuds/sparklight). 



 

Luke Skywalker expected a certain sequence of events to transpire when he was captured.

First off, as soon as he was in Imperial custody, Luke expected to find himself marched to a high security cell in one of the _Executor’s_ many Detention Blocks. Afterwards, he assumed he would be subjected to interrogation. Then, once the Imperials had ripped out every scrap of information they could get from him; he imagined he would be transported to Imperial Center for a very public execution. He was the pilot responsible for the destruction of the Death Star; the Empire would certainly want to make an example out of him.

Except…

Nothing at all happened in the way he had expected.

Instead of a cramped, bleak cell, the young rebel found himself inside the largest and most opulent quarters he had ever seen on any ship—or anywhere else, for that matter. It wasn’t only a single room but an entire apartment! Bewildered, Luke could only stand mutely in the middle of the first chamber of the suite—some sitting room, he surmised.

_Are these Vader’s private quarters? Why did he bring me here?_ The youth glanced around, though his gaze would often slide back to the massive form of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

The durasteel floor was completely covered by a dark red carpet of some thick material that felt firm but also soft underneath his boots. One wall was made nearly entirely of transparisteel; displaying a magnificent vista of glittering stars. In the middle of the room was a wide, round platform. Perched atop this flat sphere, and nearly covering the entire carpeted surface, was a massive, very plush circular couch laden with a good dozen square pillows and matching side tables. Several tasteful pieces of artwork decorated the room, sitting on the floating shelves and hanging along the three remaining walls. Sleek lighting fixtures were cunningly arranged over them, or in the case of a slim abstract sculpture found at one corner of the room underneath, to highlight each object and its finest aspects. These exhibits were nearly as distracting as the sight beyond the viewport. The overhead lights were currently set at a muted glow, casting the room in a comfortable radiance. Reluctantly, Luke found himself very impressed.

And, utterly confused.

Behind him, the doors slid shut and, eventually, the only noise he could hear was the measured breathing of the Dark Lord. Darth Vader turned fluidly to face him, black cape flaring out rather dramatically before settling to drape elegantly over the imposing man, and the unlikely pair exchanged looks.

And, remained staring at each other as the hush stretched out between them.

Naturally, Luke broke the silence first. “What is this?” he waved a hand to encompass the room; the confusion and anxiety evident in his voice in spite of his best efforts to conceal his emotions.

“Your quarters.”

The youth blinked. “ _W_ - _wha_ — _uh_?” he felt his jaw slacken midway, causing the word to come out in an undignified stutter. Luke refused to admit he was blushing over his lapse of composure.

“I doubt I would need to clarify what I have just stated.”

“Actually, there’s a _lot_ you need to clarify,” Luke muttered.

“Indeed. I have a few questions, Skywalker.”

_Well, this isn’t the cell I expected but here’s the interrogation I knew had to be coming,_ Luke thought with a mixture of relief and trepidation. He felt some semblance of equilibrium return to him. The young rebel commander folded his arms over his chest in defiance and squared his shoulders; tipping his chin upwards, he gazed steadily into the red-tinted eye sockets of the infamous mask.

“I bet you do,” he retorted, determination coating his voice, “not that I’m going to tell you anything.”

Vader only remained where he stood, his large, gloved hands rising to grip his belt and his head tilted forward slightly; peering down at the youth. Luke simply _knew_ that the Dark Lord was completely unimpressed by his brazen declaration and was now regarding him with alarming deliberation. There was no hostility or malice in the man—more surprisingly, even the normally present smothering aura of anger that circled Darth Vader was muted somehow. Nevertheless, Luke still keenly felt the Sith Lord's presence in the Force; he was impossible to miss or ignore. Currently, Vader was simply… curious? For some reason, he was very curious about him—this only served to boggle the young rebel more. Unthinkingly, Luke sunk deeper into the Force around him and found himself nearly physically knocked over by the veritable wave of unnerving satisfaction and triumph emanating from the Dark Lord of the Sith. It was controlled and concealed but Luke just managed to catch the dredges of it.

Why in the nine hells of Corellia was Vader so _pleased_?! He couldn't be this happy over Luke's capture, could he? Luke felt his eyes narrow in consternation but he continued to meet the unswerving stare fixed on him—it was clearly apparent even with that black mask hiding Vader's face. This couldn’t be a very good sign. Nothing about this entire situation was…

Mulling over this troubling revelation, Luke refused to be intimidated and straightened further; his spine was rigid to the point of discomfort and he willed himself not to look away despite the mounting restlessness seeping into him.

Once again, silence reigned and the lumbering seconds trickled away into heavy minutes. Luke found himself starting to fidget, struggling not to let his eyes wander—that view was really spectacular and the abstract painting on the far wall next to the transparisteel looked like a space battle—or let his fingers start fiddling with the fabric of his flight suit’s long sleeves. Darth Vader, meanwhile, made a very convincing impression of a stone statue. The youth resolutely kept his mouth clamped shut. Like he told the Sith; he wasn’t talking.

The doorchime trilled.

Luke jumped in shock at the abrupt, ringing sound; just failing to stifle his yelp of surprise. He half-turned so he could face the doors behind him but still kept the Dark Lord in sight; Luke wasn’t stupid enough to turn his back on the man for even a single second. Vader remained unfailingly collected and unruffled. The youth scowled, feeling as though he had just lost some unspoken contest. He was distinctly aware the Dark Lord was now amused. At him.

In return, Luke leveled a glare at the Sith Lord.

Vader proved to be impervious to the young rebel’s displeasure. In fact, to the boy’s obvious and increasing irritation, all Luke succeeded in doing by showing the Sith he was Not Amused was to only raise the Dark Lord’s own mirth. Luke twitched.

Deciding he had aggravated his captive enough for the moment, Vader executed a sharp wave with one gloved hand and the doors whispered open. Luke looked over to find two Imperials waiting outside. Both men saluted smartly.

“Enter.” Vader ordered into the still lingering echo of the chime.

At the Sith Lord’s command, the men strode into the quarters briskly. The two men were guiding a hovercart between them and Luke froze. Quickly scanning the approaching trolley, he expected to find it bristling with interrogation implements—his eyes searching quickly for any sign of the sleek black, sphere-shaped interrogation droid he had heard so much about. When he found nothing, he felt his anxiety and slight fear ebb away only to be replaced by uncertainty and bafflement. He looked again and blinked when he began to recognize some of the devices and items. The hovercart was loaded with medical equipment and instruments. Luke had been in a Medbay often enough to be able to identify some of them easily and knew they were only used for medical purposes. Belatedly, he realized that the men were clad in Medic uniforms, and not the standard khaki or gray of normal officers. Luke turned his head to stare at the Dark Lord in blatant confusion. Why did Vader call these men?

Vader tilted his head slightly towards them in the faintest of nods then gestured at Luke. “He was recently injured; ascertain the degree of this injury and the level of treatment he has already received. I would not be surprised if the Rebels have been lacking in their management of his treatment. When you have located any such lapses; rectify them immediately. I also desire a full examination of his physical well-being; I wish him returned to full, if not better, health as soon as possible.”

“At once, My Lord.” The men chorused crisply and marched over to Luke. The older man, unmistakably a high ranking doctor from his insignia even if Luke didn’t recognize exactly what the rank bar designated, was already holding a scanner over the youth.

Luke noted that he was tanned, very tall and broad-shouldered, in his late forties with salt-and-pepper hair, intense gray eyes and a ruggedly handsome face. He was clean-shaven and not a stitch was out of place on his uniform. His colleague was a young man; possibly only a few years older than Luke. There was a very distinct resemblance between them that made Luke suspect they had to be related. He had the same shade of gray eyes,  shade of skin and build but his features were slightly softer and he was not as tall. Still taller than him, however, Luke observed with some annoyance. Despite his youth, the second doctor was as professional as his superior; swiftly pulling the hovercart up next to Luke for easy reach and opening the trolley to search among its contents with practiced ease.

Blinking owlishly, Luke merely stared; sending Vader frequent glances as the minutes moved forward. The Dark Lord had folded his arms over his broad chest and was leaving the men to their work; although he was watching them closely, especially Luke. Luke shifted uneasily under that intense regard.

Once again, things were not going as he expected they would. Why was Vader even bothering to have him treated? Wouldn’t it just be a waste of resources when he was subjected to interrogation? In all of the stories he had heard, not once did he ever hear Vader having his prisoners treated—or offered any kind of mercy, for that matter…

This whole situation was making less and less sense. Luke finally opened his mouth—he wasn’t sure what he was about to say but he had to say _something_. However, this was forestalled when the device in the doctor’s hand beeped softly.

The medic scanned the readings quickly before looking up to meet Vader’s mask which had fixed on him. “He has recently completed a session in Bacta, My Lord,” he reported, a touch of disapproval lacing his voice. “It has healed the worst of his injuries, however, the session was not as long as is recommended and the amount of Bacta used was below the required level. Because of this, he is still suffering from the residual effects of severe Hypothermia and there is remaining cellular damage which should have been dealt with if the proper procedure had been performed.”

A low noise came from Darth Vader; Luke could have sworn it was a growl. There was a very sharp spike in the Force and that dormant black fire swelled dangerously. A surge of that familiar suffocating anger Luke hadn’t felt earlier rolled over him—he suppressed the shiver that raced down his spine. He hadn’t missed this in the slightest.

“Does he require another session in Bacta? If so, we will head to the Medbay immediately,” Vader demanded brusquely. The giant was already stalking forward and Luke recoiled.

“No, My Lord, it is unnecessary. He need not be immersed,” The doctor assured smoothly. Vader stopped and rested his hands on his belt, radiating ire.

Grudgingly, Luke had to admit he was impressed by the man’s unshakeable mien. Even from what little he could sense with his erratic grasp of the Force, this doctor wasn’t the slightest bit perturbed even when he was dealing with a very irate Sith Lord. Briefly, Luke wondered how he could even feel the man's emotions and so clearly with Vader nearby.

“A Bacta Immersion would be impractical at this stage." The man continued. "We can easily attain equal or even better results by utilizing other methods…”

Abruptly, he trailed off as his companion leaned close and murmured in his ear. Luke had forgotten all about the young man who had clearly been busy. The second medic was holding another medical scanner; this model looked far more complicated than the first—Luke peered at it uncertainly; he had never seen a medical scanner like that before. The chief medical officer took the new device, exchanging the one he had been holding and scrutinized the wide screen; long fingers scrolling down rapidly. A slight frown slowly crept onto his features.

“What is it?” Vader snapped, the deep tone now ringing with the agitation he had been exuding. Luke didn’t catch the flinch this invoked; the room was suddenly _so very cold_ , colder than even Hoth’s strongest blizzards… He wondered fleetingly why the Dark Lord was so _much_ angrier now; it felt as though a black bonfire of this roiling emotion had been lit and was stretching outward, seeking targets… Wait, Vader wasn’t only furious he was… _worried_?!

Luke stared at the Sith Lord, wondering if he had misinterpreted what he had just felt from the Force. It was a surreal thought; the Dark Lord of the Sith feeling concern…

The doctor cleared his throat; there still no hint of unease in him whatsoever—he was like a rock in the rapids of a churning river and Luke found himself sidling closer to the man instinctively.

Vader clearly noticed and Luke felt the seething black flames withdraw, almost contrite; one black tendril even brushed against him reassuringly. Luke blinked and was seriously beginning to wonder if he was even touching the Force at all. What he was sensing couldn't be right! Belatedly, the youth realized the doctor was talking. He focused on the words, this was about him after all.

“…ve completed a full Scan and, from this thorough examination; I can easily formulate his treatment. The scan shows an alarming degree of fatigue. He was in combat. He should have not been allowed to participate; his body is still recuperating and this action has served to undermine many parts of his previous treatment.”

“No kidding,” Luke interjected dryly. “Technically, I’m ‘still’ in combat, if you ask me.” He shot Vader a pointed look.

Despite the amusement Luke felt from him—Imperial humor escaped him, the young rebel decided sullenly—the medical officer ignored him and didn't falter in his prognosis; probably noticing the deepening chill as the Dark Lord made his rising displeasure felt. However, this time he saw those black flames enfold him almost protectively. Exasperated, Luke stopped touching the Force; Vader's proximity had to be hindering him somehow. What was with the Dark Lord?! He was acting wholly out of character... Inwardly jerking himself out of his useless musings, Luke refocused on the doctor.

“…ows signs of new cellular damage; he fell from a great height recently. He is sporting a good number of lacerations; fortunately, these are superficial. There is evidence of frostbite in his extremities but I am most concerned with the heavy contusions, particularly around the ankles, legs, hips and chest that the scanner has diagnosed.”

“Oh, that happens when you drop from underneath an Imperial Walker,” Luke rejoined blithely. “Best way to get as far away as possible from the explosion after you plant a bomb inside the underbelly, you know.” He flashed a boyish grin when the younger of the men lost his poise enough to give him an aghast look. The senior doctor briefly looked entertained before resuming his professional manner. Luke was beginning to suspect this man had a rebel’s sense of humor, too.

“Very well,” Vader rumbled, striding close to loom over Luke who edged away before he controlled himself and settled for crossing his arms over his chest and glowering up at the Sith Lord defiantly. “What must be done?”

“I recommend that the patient be induced into having twelve hours of undisturbed sleep to alleviate the high levels of fatigue he is exhibiting and thus hindering his body from beginning the natural process of recuperation. In order to address his various medical issues, I will have a schedule of medication readied and this will be administered to him in set intervals to ensure all damage is rectified and he makes a full recovery. The scanner has also detected a number of nutritional deficiencies which I will correct along with his injuries. Lastly, given his biological profile, he is lacking several vaccines and boosters; I will have those included. Following strict adherence to these procedures, he will be back to complete health in three to six days—the rate of recovery will depend on his body’s ability to accept the treatments.” The man paused, leveling Luke with a short, considering look before stating. “I will administer the initial dose now as I have the needed medication on hand and this will immediately remedy a significant amount of his medical issues. However, it will place a relatively high level of strain on his body. With his current physical status, I advise he be unconscious while this medication takes effect. It will allow the treatmen—”

“You're not going to knock me out!” Luke yelled vehemently, the meaning of the last few words finally registering in his mind. He pulled away violently from the trio and backpedaled towards the door; his hands held out in a warding gesture. Who knew what Vader could do to him while he was out cold?!

Luke hadn’t even managed more than a couple of steps away from the Imperials when he was encircled by a pair of black synthleather-clad, very unyielding arms and caught in an unexpected embrace. The console on Vader’s chest dug uncomfortably into his spine and shoulder blades as he was held tightly. Luke went still from shock, allowing Vader to grab his flailing wrists in his large hands. One of his arms was stretched out and presented towards the medics. The younger man was gaping unabashedly; the older doctor looked a little slack-jawed himself.

Calmly, over the loud protests and wild thrashing of the boy, Vader barked. “Give him the sedative. Now!”

The chief medical officer was quick to obey. With only a glance at the trolley, he snatched a syringe from one of the many opened cases of medicine on the carrier’s top and darted forward. Luke tried kicking him when he neared but the man nimbly sidestepped him. Deftly, he gave Luke a shot in the offered arm; somehow working around the thick, orange flight suit the youth wore and finding a vein.

_Of course, he'd be good, he'd probably be dead if he wasn't!_ Luke groused, scowling at the doctor. The man even had the gall to offer him an apologetic half-smile.

The young rebel commander had barely felt the prick of the needle but he certainly felt the wave of drowsiness that swept over him almost immediately. Whatever drug had been in that syringe, it was strong and worked fast. Luke continued to struggle, though, refusing to submit to the encroaching darkness. But, in seconds, his body went limp, sagging bonelessly against Vader. In spite of his fading consciousness, Luke felt Vader adjust his hold to cradle him in his arms. The act was both strangely protective and unnervingly possessive. The Sith Lord was speaking with the doctor but the words were already blending into an incomprehensible slur of noise.

Luke’s last, coherent thoughts were a slew of Huttese curses and jumbled questions.

All directed at Vader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  Written for sparklight as a humble tribute to her absolutely delightful collection of One-Shots where our beloved Sith Daddy gets his little boy.  
> That, and I had absolutely no choice; I suspect a 'Mind Trick' here somewhere. But, really, I wrote this because her marvelous writing spawned this evil Plot Bunny who I ( ~~un~~ )affectionately call "Darth Vunny". In order to appease this tenacious little critter, I had to write _something_. Luke, you are my absolutely favorite character but I bow to the power of your Sith Daddy. Sorry, Kid, you get the 'short' end of the stick.  
>  Thank you for reading, and I only hope sparklight and anyone who drops by has a good time.


	2. In Which Things Continue To Be Not What Was Expected...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke wakes up, and struggles to understand his situation...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> : _Words_ : - Mental communication  
>  _Words_ \- Thoughts

Luke Skywalker’s first relatively lucid thought was: _So this is what it’s like to sleep on a cloud…_

Trailing this idle musing were the contented thoughts of _This is so nice..._ and _I am never moving again…_ Slowly, memories began to filter into his half-awake mind, mingling with the sensations. Luke was entirely determined and decided he wasn’t moving from where he was ensconced until the thoughts of _I’ve been captured_ and, the far more disturbing recollection of _I was drugged_ , rang in his head. 

With a wordless cry, Luke jolted out of his sleepy daze, looking around frantically. 

He was on a bed. The biggest bed he had ever seen and one that really did feel like a fluffy cloud… but was definitely a very big bed; not a bunk, not the slab of metal one would find in a holding cell. As his eyes adjusted to the soft lighting illuminating the room he was in; he discovered he wasn’t in a holding cell either. 

The full reality of his situation came crashing down on him in a cascade of disjointed memories and Luke inhaled sharply. His arms gave out and he fell back onto the mattress, which eagerly came up to embrace him snugly while his mind chased and collected all of the thoughts that were churning around inside his skull. Carefully, Luke lined them up accordingly. 

He had been captured by Darth Vader over Hoth. He was on the _Executor_ , the Dark Lord’s personal flagship. Instead of a high security cell, he was in some fancy suite; instead of an agonizing interrogation, he had been treated extensively. Instead of… well, he wasn’t sure if he was going to be shipped off to Imperial Center at this rate. So far, nothing was going the way he assumed it would. Once all of these facts were laid out in his mind, Luke Skywalker settled on being angry over what had happened. 

Like… _I can’t believe he had me knocked out!_ Luke ranted internally, punching the (entirely blameless) pillow under his head in frustration. Absently, he noted there were a good number of these large, rectangular cushions all around him. _He really had me sedated! Held me like some reluctant kid who didn’t want his shots!_

Scowling, Luke began stretching out his body. He was half-expecting—more of hoping, really, he’d feel something was wrong. Grudgingly, Luke had to finally concede—after twisting around in every imaginable way—all he felt was unbelievably good. There was no lingering ache or weakness in any part of him, and his body all but vibrated with energy. The dull ache he had been nursing since waking up in the Rebel Base Medbay and during the battle on Hoth was gone. The sleep and, whatever medication he had been dosed with, had done wonders. Though, he pondered with some consternation, if this was outweighed by what ‘bad’ that could have been done to him while he was sedated. 

Luke frowned. Aside from feeling incredibly great, he didn’t think differently and his mind was certainly still his own—even all of his memories were intact. Tucking his arms behind his head, the youth stared up, unseeing, into the semi-shadowed ceiling. Trying to find out if anything had been done to him while he was asleep seemed moot by this point as it had already happened. Most of all, this wasn’t going to get him anywhere, he finally concluded. Right now, his biggest worry was finding a way to escape. Luke highly doubted the security measures here would be any less complex than what he’d find in a high security cell in the Detention Block. In fact, Luke wagered Vader had taken very special care with whatever security measures he had devised for these quarters. Luke had no illusions; he wouldn’t find escape at all easy or even likely possible without some help. 

_Like pretty much everything else Vader’s planned; nothing is going to be simple,_ Luke mused, the earlier bewilderment over his situation reawakening. The Sith Lord certainly lived up to his fearsome reputation. Darth Vader had been obsessed with capturing Luke for three long years and he had utilized every and all means he had at his disposal with deadly efficiency. With a shiver, Luke remembered all of those very close calls. He had often wondered how he had eluded the man for so long; this was actually inevitable. However, that didn’t mean Luke was simply going to accept whatever fate Vader had in store for him. 

Luke couldn’t figure out the Dark Lord and his intentions. What did he want? Luke wasn’t dead and he wasn’t being tortured… 

Well, Vader was definitely gloating over his capture, Luke realized this belatedly, his mind pulling this fact out by shifting through his memories. The man had been outright gloating, so intense was this that Luke had easily picked up the emotion. More than simply gloating, he had been _pleased_ , to the point of contented. Luke couldn’t recall ever hearing of the Dark Lord being this… ecstatic over catching someone. The youth’s mind stumbled over this epiphany; the very idea of Darth Vader being even remotely ‘happy’ was as surreal as the Dark Lord of Sith being 'concerned'. After all, Darth Vader was infamous for being ruthless and unfeeling. 

It was very clear now his death wasn’t what Darth Vader wanted; in fact, the very opposite if Luke considered what had been done for him so far. But, what else could the Sith Lord want with him if it wasn’t to kill him himself? Then again, Vader hadn’t only wanted him alive, but unharmed. Why this obsession? …was it because of his father? Could there be far more between Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker than he knew? Darth Vader had betrayed and murdered Anakin Skywalker. For Vader to have betrayed his father, didn’t that have to mean they had been close? From the pain and sorrow he could feel radiating from Ben when he told Luke, it was clear the betrayal had been great. Could Ben have not told him, because he didn’t have the time or…? 

These questions had been with him since he had first discovered the astronomical bounty, and moreso the details of said bounty, on his head. Luke sighed deeply. And, so far, he didn’t have a single answer. 

_Which, I am not going to get at all if I just laze around. No matter how great this bed feels,_ Luke told himself. Despite his mild reproach, Luke found himself still reluctant to move in the slightest and he remained sprawled out for several minutes more, relishing the sheer luxury he was encased in. Finally, his inner voice barked (why did it sound like Leia for some reason?). _Move it, Skywalker!_

With a gusty exhale, Luke threw aside the silk covers and, resolutely, rolled over. Blinked in mild surprise when he found himself still on the bed; rolled again… rolled once more and finally came to the edge. Sitting up, he felt his bare feet touch the floor and looked down quickly when he encountered not the cold durasteel like he expected but a thick carpet. The carpet was a calming shade of dark blue and, most of all, was warm and comfortable under his feet. There was even a pair of blue slippers set in front of the night table. Bemusedly, Luke slipped his feet into them since there weren’t any other footwear he could use and, no matter how good the carpet felt, he wasn’t going to run around this place barefoot. 

Belatedly, he also realized he wasn’t in his flight suit anymore; presently, he was dressed in a pair of azure-colored pajamas. Luke touched the material absently, enjoying the sleek feel of the fabric. They weren’t oversized, in fact, they fit him perfectly. Even the slippers were a snug fit around his feet. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised his clothes had been changed; the flight suit had been dirty and bloodied— 

Luke pulled back one of the long sleeves to peer at his left arm, he remembered that he had gotten a nasty if shallow cut just above the elbow when his snowspeeder crashed on Hoth. Looking closely, he found nothing; no scar or even dried blood. Luke ran his index finger over the smooth, unbroken length of clean skin on his arm where he knew the wound should have been. So, not only was he fully treated, and his clothes changed; he had even been cleaned while he was asleep. From the feel of his skin, it was a small sonic washer that had been used. Luke remembered seeing that device once in the Rebel Base Medbay; he felt his cheeks grow hot. 

The idea of someone, even if it was only a droid, giving him a bath or even seeing him naked was still not a comfortable thought. It left him in a state of vulnerability and Luke hated feeling helpless. Still… that didn’t explain why the Imperials had these kind of pajamas on hand. They were even his exact size! Why wasn’t he in a standard-issue patient’s gown? 

_Great, just what I needed, more questions..._ Luke thought with a roll of his eyes. 

Raising his head, Luke took his first good look around the room. The large bedroom he was in was lavish and the bed he had been sleeping in was certainly the highlight; massive and decadently comfortable. The sheets were in silver—not the bland Imperial gray he knew—with cobalt-hued patterns over the center and corners. Even the small arsenal of pillows had a matching shade and pattern. Luke never realized how many of the cushions he had; he counted six. 

Shaking his head slowly in befuddlement and awe, Luke rose from the bed and ran his eyes over the rest of the space. 

The first thing to catch his wandering gaze was the massive viewport dominating the left wall of the room. Luke stopped to stare and couldn’t help himself. The view was breathtaking; Luke could easily imagine that he stood out among the stars and not in a ship. Idly, Luke wondered what it would be like to fall asleep watching the stars… before he shook himself out of his reverie. 

_Back in the game, Skywalker!_ He chided himself and, this time when he looked out of the viewport, studied the stars in front of him. From the constellations he recognized, Luke surmised the _Executor_ was still within the Anoat System, but far from Hoth. And, from the unchanging star clusters, the monstrous ship was currently hanging in space so the endless, shimmering oblivion of the cosmos was on full display. 

_I wonder what we’re waiting for?_ Luke mused fleetingly before he returned to checking out the rest of the bedroom. 

The bedroom was also very clearly personalized. All around the room were sleek, incredibly detailed models of the most popular ships and vehicles in the galaxy; Imperial, private and Old Republic lined the floating shelves built into the walls. Even the two night tables set by either side of the bed sported a replica of some sleek, fast machine. Luke picked up each model, admiring the craftsmanship and the detail. He almost expected the ships to take flight, so closely did they copy the originals. He lingered over them but, finally, continued his careful exploration. 

There was an elegant chronometer on one of the two night tables. The device not only looked sophisticated; its functions were extensive. It clearly indicated the time, down to the nanosecond, and the date. But, the device also showed the temperature and a slew of small, useful details Luke never knew a chronometer could be programmed to tell. He grimaced involuntarily when he had read the time and, especially, the date. It had been a little over two days since he was unceremoniously knocked out, and it was mid-afternoon by shipboard time. 

_What could have happened since then?_ Luke pondered this worriedly before adding this question to his growing collection. At least, from the stillness and the silence, he doubted they were in combat anymore. This meant that whatever remaining forces of the Rebel Alliance which had survived the assault on Hoth had escaped from the Imperial Starfleet. 

Or, had already been wiped out. 

Luke tried not to think about that (very likely) possibility; he quickly returned to investigating the room again. He best served the Rebel Alliance by finding a way out of this predicament and getting to that Jedi Master to train. Luke swiftly buried that thought as soon as it rose; he had no idea what Vader could pick up from him since they were so close—in fact, Luke could easily sense the Dark Lord of the Sith. The youth stopped in his tracks, head cocking to the side as he realized what it was he could feel when he reached out. 

Luke couldn’t tell where exactly the man was but, if he lifted a finger and pointed; he knew he’d be pointing directly at where Vader would be. Even to Luke’s untrained senses, Vader stood out like a black sun, a concentration of Force power so potent Luke was left equally chilled and warmed by the dark flames that writhed around the man. Currently, this bonfire was banked, and Luke circled this icy blaze with both curiosity and caution. 

Vader was occupied… there was a layer of impatience, tightly leashed ire and well-concealed boredom. Luke grinned at the last emotion he caught. Who knew the Dark Lord could get bored? There were others around him, like very tiny embers. While the prevalent feeling present was heavy fear, there was also a great deal of respect, devotion and loyalty. 

Despite being a Rebel, Luke could understand those feelings. Darth Vader certainly inspired fear, yes, but the man was someone to be respected as well. If not for his actions, but his prowess. The youth couldn’t deny that this lone man had turned what would have been countless Rebel victories into bitter defeats. Luke himself could count how often he won against Vader on a single hand… and those few successes were never attained without help. 

From what he could feel, Luke guessed Vader had to be in a meeting; he was likely receiving reports from his subordinates and issuing orders. Abruptly, he realized that he could almost hear voices! Exceedingly curious about what was being said, he delved deeper into the Force and _reached_ … 

With a gasp, Luke recoiled as he felt one of the nearest black tendrils of the power circling the Sith Lord tap him lightly, almost admonishingly, on the forehead. He hastily pulled back into himself. The distinct words of : _It is impolite to eavesdrop, little one._ : resounded in his head. The voice was a rich baritone, very different from the rumbling bass coming from the vocoder; its timbre seeming to reverberate in his soul and was strangely, achingly familiar. Luke barely lingered on this revelation. 

Flushing from embarrassment at being caught and annoyance at being treated like a child, Luke resumed searching the room. Clearly, the Dark Lord had other more important things to do before he came to deal with him. This meant Luke had a chance to see if he could get himself out of this before Darth Vader found time for him. With all the fancy stuff in here, maybe he could use it to esca— 

: _I wouldn’t suggest it, young one. If you attempt to utilize any of the components of the suite in an attempt to escape, I will order you stunned. And have no doubt, I will know if you make any attempt to tamper with the quarters and its accouterments._ : 

Luke froze, heart thudding hard in his chest. : _… **Vader**?!_ : 

He could have sworn Vader winced, the sensation passing over him. : _Curb yourself, child. There is no need to shout._ : 

Once again, Luke felt that mental equivalent of an admonishing tap to the forehead. 

Reflexively, he reached up to rub his forehead. It was beginning to sting a little. Luke took several seconds before he snapped back, consciously trying to soften his ‘voice’. : _How in the… what is this?!_ : 

: _Slightly better but you are still projecting too loudly. And, ‘this’ is mental communication via the Force, I am amazed you are not aware of this ability when you are clearly very gifted in using it._ : 

Luke frowned and tried again. : _Well, sorry I’m not used to Dark Lords talking in my head!_ : 

: _Your earlier attempt was more successful. Do not let your emotions overcome you; they power your mental voice. Keep practicing, little one. Also, from your reaction to my speaking in your mind, you’re used to hearing voices. That certainly speaks volumes of your sanity._ : 

Luke gaped. Did Vader just crack a joke?! … Oh, yes, he did and at Luke’s expense. He scowled and huffed aloud, crossing his arms over his chest. No, he was not being petulant. : _Whatever._ : 

: _As you are aware, I am currently attending to my duties. I cannot postpone them and I prefer to have no other matters awaiting my attention before we talk. However, this is no excuse for you to attempt an escape or to make a nuisance of yourself. I reiterate; I will have you stunned if I feel you are becoming problematic. Behave yourself, child, and I will speak with you later._ : 

Luke had the strange but distinct impression of the Dark Lord drawing a heavy, thick shroud over himself; one Luke wouldn’t be able to breach easily or if at all. He lacked the knowledge and fine control needed. Luke also knew it was only one-way; he couldn’t reach past the opaque veil but Vader could very effortlessly take a look outside whenever he wanted. That, and the youth had the inescapable awareness that the Dark Lord was still monitoring him closely. 

Luke growled in annoyance. Why was Vader acting like some controlling parent instead of the dreaded Dark Lord of the Sith? 

_Another question to my ever growing pile,_ he thought exasperatedly. _This just keeps getting better and better!_

Momentarily, Luke was very tempted to see how far he could push the Sith Lord. Surely, he had to make at least one attempt to escape, right? …But, now wouldn’t be the best time, he amended reluctantly—the youth could have sworn he felt a spike of predatory anticipation in the Force the moment he had seriously considered trying to break out of the suite. Was it Vader? 

During his flight from Hoth, Luke hadn’t been at all interested and hadn’t wanted to be in any position where he could find out the answers to his questions. But now… well, a side of him was tired of only knowing a part of the puzzle and, from the looks of it, this was one very complex mystery. As much as Luke wanted to get away, he also wanted answers. The feeling that Vader held all of those answers was undeniable and his curiosity over the reasons for Vader’s obsession with him was rising to nearly unbearable heights—it didn’t help that Luke suspected this involved his father somehow and this only added fuel to his desire to know. 

The most compelling argument to why he should postpone any escape attempts were that Luke just _knew_ that he wouldn’t make it very far even if he managed to get out of these quarters. Lastly, Luke believed that Vader would make good on his threat of having him stunned if the Dark Lord was irritated enough with him. He had no desire to go back to sleep; he had been unconscious long enough as it was. He also doubted he’ll wake up feeling as good as he felt now—no, it was best to conserve his energy for a successful venture instead of one that was probably doomed even before he finished thinking it up! Yeah, planning and trying to slip out of his fancy cell was probably the worst thing he could do right now. Luke needed to see what he had to work with first; he had far too much set against him already at present. 

The sense of someone watching faded slightly and Luke felt his own shoulders relax minutely. He wasn’t fooled, however. Like Vader would be so quick to drop his guard. 

_A waiting game it is, then,_ Luke thought determinedly while he returned to seeing what he could find in the bedroom. 

He was only eight steps away from the bed when Luke noticed a nearly invisible control board in the middle of the wall opposite of the viewport. He came close and, at his touch, a panel in the wall slid aside soundlessly, causing the youth to jump back in surprise. The compartment within was revealed in a blinding flash as brilliant lighting lit the space. 

Once his eyes had adjusted, Luke stepped inside and could only gawk. It was a small (when compared to the bedroom, of course) room… full of clothes. On his left, were three wide floor-to-ceiling mirrors, one was set fully against the wall while the remaining two were angled so you could see both your sides and, if you turned, your back. Near this trio of mirrors was a round, backless, heavily cushioned seat. All along the remaining walls were racks of every piece of clothing imaginable. There was a small section with built-in drawers, Luke checked inside and found that these held neatly folded piles of pajamas, bathrobes, underwear, undershirts and socks. One wide drawer in the middle was locked and needed a password to open, Luke studied the panel and made several attempts (first, entering random passwords without success, then trying to pry it open) but ultimately failed before deciding he’ll likely find out what’s in there eventually. Another drawer revealed an impressive selection of belts and other accessories to accent the outfits he had found—gloves, clips, ties, handkerchiefs, scarfs… 

Ending his circuit by one of the many open racks, Luke reached out and touched the nearest piece of clothing; a pair of black pants. The material flowed over his hand like water, cool and wonderful against the pads of his fingers. 

“Never seen anything like this before…” Luke muttered, running his hand over the fabric. 

On a hunch, Luke checked the size; blinked in shock, dropped the pants and looked at the next piece, checked again… and again… 

After the seventh item, Luke released the pair of slacks as though burned and began inspecting the other garments—socks, underwear, shirts, jackets, cloaks, robes? He even looked at the footwear, which consisted of mostly boots. He wasn’t wrong; every single article matched his measurements perfectly. Reeling, Luke staggered over and sank onto the cushion in a daze. 

_Okay, I think I am freaking out now. When and how did they get my measurements?! Why did Vader have all of this made?! He’s got to be the one... and he definitely had them ordered long before I got caught! According to that chronometer, I was out for only a little over two days. There’s enough stuff in here to last me one whole month without having to wear the same thing twice!_

The youth remained sitting, slumped, on the backless chair for some time; struggling to grasp the situation he had found himself in. The questions were definitely multiplying; with still not a single answer in sight. Luke felt his jaw clench; yes, there were more questions now but, he was a Skywalker and he’d find his answers, somehow. Waiting for Vader to find time for him wasn’t going to get them to him faster and Luke figured there would have to be some answers present in these rooms somewhere. 

Besides, merely sitting around—like lying around—wasn’t going to do him much good either way. 

His resolve restored, Luke stood briskly and strode out of the—room-sized—closet, the youth shook his head in disbelief. Who the heck needs a room full of clothes, anyway?! 

Outside, Luke found that there was another control panel beside the first. Luke pressed the release with a great deal of caution and a good dose of curiosity. This new room turned out to be the refresher. 

Luke ogled this room as badly as he did the ‘closet’. 

As brightly illuminated as the earlier room, the refresher was expansive; equipped with a toilet and sported not only a large shower stall, with a slew of nozzles that undoubtedly indicated it was a _hydro_ shower and not a sonic shower, but a gigantic bathtub as well. The bowl was huge enough to fit three people easily. 

_Why would you need a tub that big?_ Luke contemplated that mystery for a few minutes before just shrugging and wandering over to the broad counter that ran along one wall, above the slab of polished steel was a wall-length mirror. Luke eyed his reflection critically. There was no trace of even a scar; nothing to show where the Wampa’s claws had raked his face. He looked as good as he felt, his skin even seemed to glow under the vivid lights. Watching his face scrunch up in a mix of a lopsided smile and scowl, Luke turned his gaze to the surface of the long counter. 

There was a wide array of toiletries—liquid soaps, toothpaste, mouthwash, shaving cream, lotions, hair styling gels and sprays to the more luxurious items like colognes. A toothbrush and several combs and brushes sat by the wide rectangular-shaped sink, along with a very advanced, and evidently brand-new, razor. Fluffy towels, small hand towels to the huge bath towels, hung on the countless racks protruding all over the walls. There were also several containers of paper towels lining the counter and a dispenser was built into the wall near the toilet. There were even a couple of decorative vases with glittering stones and… _plants_?! Luke touched the nearest one in shock, feeling the texture of the leaf under his fingertips. Yep, there were real live plants in his bathroom. 

Shaking his head and resting his palm on the cool metal of the counter, Luke stared absently at his reflection. This refresher fit the penthouse suite of an extravagant hotel more than a capital ship; the same could be just as easily said about the bedroom outside. Luke recalled the sitting room—if this bedroom was connected there—and felt his mouth purse thoughtfully. 

Carelessly, Luke raked a hand through his hair and grimaced at the thin layer of grime and slickness he felt under his palm. He might have been given the sonic washes he would have normally gotten even in the Rebel Base Medbay but nothing topped a real Sonic Shower. And, although he felt great; he definitely wanted—and needed—a bath. 

_Since I am stuck here I may as well use the facilities,_ Luke decided. He grinned, looking down to touch his attire. _Besides, I can’t really make a good escape when I’m in pajamas and a pair of slippers, can I?_

He slipped out of the ‘fresher and stepped back into the closet. Staring at the wall-to-wall collection of clothing choices, Luke picked the simplest white undershirt he could find along with a set of white underwear and socks. Quickly, he matched this with an outfit consisting of a plain black jacket, black pants and shiny black boots. He didn’t bother with any of the accessories except for a standard black belt. Half the clothes were in black, or in dark colors; not that Luke minded. There were a good number in bright colors but Luke wasn’t interested in standing out. He was enough of a target as it was; the less conspicuous he could make himself the better. He diligently avoided the rack with outfits that looked like Ben’s robes—all in black instead of the white, beige and brown he recalled his mentor had favored. The implications of those robes sent a chill down Luke’s spine and he decided resolutely—he’d deal with _that_ situation when it came along. Not sooner. 

Luke set his selected attire on the round cushion and went back into the ‘fresher. He switched his gaze between the shower and the bathtub contemplatively before, with unabashed regret and disappointment, focused on the shower. A part of Luke—his inner desert child—was dying to try out that tub. However, practicality won out; it would be beyond embarrassing if some Imperial walked in on him while he was in the middle of his bath! 

“If I live long enough, I’ll get around to trying out that tub…” he promised aloud to himself. Luke had no such illusions but with the way things were transpiring; he was beginning to think anything was possible and it was proving safer _not_ to assume… 

Idly, on the tail end of that thought, Luke checked the control panel of the ‘fresher’s door; the locking mechanism had been disabled. 

_At least, some things are still predictable,_ Luke snorted. _Yeah, using the tub is definitely not a good idea right now._

Walking to the shower, he stripped out of the pajamas, tossing the shirt, pants and boxers into the hamper he spotted under the counter. The glass panel of the shower opened soundlessly as he neared and shut without a whisper once he was inside. Luke peered at the control board, starting when he realized that the shower had both a hydro _and_ a sonic function. Shaking his head at the sheer extravagance, Luke reached out; fingers hovering over the buttons for several seconds in indecision before he pressed the key on the right. 

In spite of himself, Luke yelped loudly as he was hit by a strong spray of perfectly heated water from all the nozzles all at once. Thankfully, he didn’t slip when he reflexively lurched backwards to escape the onslaught—a futile effort as the positioning of the taps ensured no matter where you were inside the stall, you’d be hit. Luke had covered his head with his hands but, as the stream spread over him, he felt his body relax and he lowered his arms, tilting his face into the gush. 

_That would be an exciting end,_ Luke mused, snickering to himself as he slowly started to run his hands over his body. _Alliance hotshot pilot kills himself by falling and cracking his skull open in an Imperial shower stall. On the bright side, I won’t have to worry about things anymore being dead…_

Luke looked over to the bottles sitting on a ledge by the wall. At least this selection wasn’t too extravagant so he didn’t have too much trouble finding the soap, shampoo and conditioner. His nose wrinkled faintly in distaste at the scent but he readily accepted this price since he really wanted to be as clean as possible. He hadn’t had a real shower in days, and he could feel it. He washed twice just to be sure and then simply stayed under the spray. Blue eyes becoming distant, Luke lost himself to the steady fall of the water, and his thoughts drifted aimlessly. He had to admit that while he had had a few water baths before, none of them felt this good. The strong, ceaseless flow of the water was heated to the perfect temperature and carefully regulated to be firm so it felt as though he was being massaged... 

Grinning like a child, Luke let himself merely enjoy his bath. 

It was only when the palms of his hands were heavily wrinkled did he finally decide he had been in the shower long enough. 

With another touch to the control board, the water stopped just as quickly as it had started. But, to Luke’s puzzlement, the door didn’t open. He neared the panel and even touched the glass but it remained sealed. He was reaching for the console again when, abruptly, hot air flooded the stall; blowing into him from the same openings water had poured from only seconds ago. 

Luke would forever deny, even under torture, that his surprised cry could be catalogued as a squeal. 

Once he was reasonably dried, the shower door opened with an air of smugness that Luke could all but feel. The rebel commander marched out of the stall with as much dignity he could muster. Though, Luke knew his cheeks were burning. Snagging the towel hanging just outside of the booth, Luke wrapped it around his waist. 

_Okay, that explains why there aren’t any towels **inside** the shower stall,_ Luke groused, feeling sheepish. _Oh **Stars** , I hope there are no surveillance or, worse, recording devices in here…_

Hastily, Luke brushed his teeth and combed his hair—sadly, he had little use for the razor and he refused to even consider either the hair gels or the assortment of colognes—then exited the ‘fresher. 

Back inside the closet, Luke dressed. Once finished, he stared at what he saw in the mirrors silently. Luke couldn’t quite discern the expression on his face; it matched exactly how he felt inside. He looked good; better than good… but, this wasn’t him. At least, not Luke Skywalker; former farmboy, Rebel pilot, aspiring Jedi… 

The youth in the mirror looked… Luke wasn’t sure exactly, and strangely, this bothered him. 

The style was distinctly militaristic, clearly Imperial-inspired but he simply squared his shoulders. The only other choices he had were extravagant outfits suited more for the Imperial Court or some very fancy party than on a capital ship… or worse, the robes. Again, he wondered why these kinds of clothes were even in there… he was almost tempted to bother Vader but resisted in the end. He had already told himself he’d deal with that issue when it came up; he wasn’t going to speed up matters by outright asking the Dark Lord about them. There was already so much between them as it was. Those other issues had to be resolved first... Luke shook his head, letting the thoughts crowding his mind scatter. 

Absently, he realized his hand had been slowly caressing the shirt he wore and he stopped, staring into the mirrors without really focusing on his reflection. Despite his unease over the design and his appearance, Luke couldn’t deny the exquisite quality of his outfit and how wonderful it felt against his body. He had to check the mirror once more before he left the room, the clothes felt so comfortable that he had briefly imagined he wasn’t wearing anything at all. They molded to his movements, almost like a second skin. 

“This is really weird,” Luke muttered aloud, raking a hand through his hair and mussing the blond locks. 

Standing in the bedroom again, Luke let his eyes rove around the room; his gaze once more arrested by the viewport before he yanked himself out of his stupor. 

_Well, since I’ve seen everything in here…_ Luke headed to the only other door of the bedroom he hadn’t checked yet. He figured it had to lead out of here. 

Steeling himself, he wondered absently if it would open or if he was locked inside. When he neared, Luke discovered that he needn’t have worried; the panel slid open with a nearly inaudible hiss to reveal what he guessed was a dining room. A very elegant dining room too, but Luke was beginning to lose his surprise over the elaborate accommodations. His awe, however, wasn’t leaving him any time soon. 

Just as he had seen in the bedroom, there was an identical viewport running along the left wall, revealing the shimmering ocean of stars he had been enjoying since he first woke up. The room itself was dark, but the instant Luke stepped out; the lights came on. They were set at a relaxing glow but strong enough that Luke could see the room clearly. 

A large, metal-and-glass ten-seat table stood in the center, the matching metal chairs were heavily upholstered, wheeled and could swivel. Completing the picture were three stunning crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and running along the length of the table. The carpeting here was a rich dark purple and there were little in the way of decorations, especially compared to the bedroom. The few he spotted were beautiful and fitting; twining sculptures and clear vases of lovely, sweet-smelling flowers. However, what brought Luke up short was what he found at the corner of the wall opposite of the viewport; not far from the door leading back into the bedroom. 

There was a _bar_. 

Quickly, Luke strode over and began looking around. The counter and matching high stools were made of gleaming steel, heavily padded and had arms and backrests for added comfort. The tops also swiveled like the dining chairs. Luke noted this only in passing, focusing more on the compartments built into the walls behind the counter. These slid open at his touch to reveal a treasure trove of bottles, their names in a dizzying range of languages. One large partition was a refrigeration unit, while one section was an ice dispenser and a third was some sort of minature stove, equipped with an assortment of small metal pots and pans. Absently, Luke wondered what use a stove could have with a bar... The cabinets he found under the counter contained glasses; from the familiar to the bizarre. Likely, what was needed to drink some of the beverages in here? Luke could only shrug; he couldn’t identify a tenth of the bottles he found inside. Much less what glass they were supposed to be matched with. Yep, this was definitely a bar; fully-stocked with a collection of drinks, both alcoholic and otherwise, if he had recognized some of the labels correctly. 

Luke may not be a connoisseur, or even much of a drinker himself, but even he could appreciate the sheer luxury held by these compartments. _Han would have loved this!_ Luke thought initially before his enthusiasm faded. _Well, not the part about being in Imperial custody and I’d never want him stuck here with me but he’d definitely raid this bar if he was here. Even Leia likes some of the things in here!_

Luke had already decided; he wasn’t touching any of this stuff. The last thing he wanted was to be drunk… Yeah, definitely hands off. Unless he could use one of the bottles as a makeshift weapon or something… 

Grinning at the rather inane (but comical) thought of hitting Darth Vader with a bottle of Corellian Brandy—Luke could just hear Han’s scream of horror over the terrible waste—the youth stepped away from the bar and continued searching the rest of the room. 

He easily found what he was looking for: the door. Actually, he found two. One exactly opposite of the door leading back into the bedroom and the other set into the wall facing the viewport and not far from the bar. Luke marched over with a mix of determination and curiosity to the nearest door. Like the bedroom's door, this door opened when he came close. 

This new room was clearly an office. The centerpiece of this space was a sleek black—and, of course, massive—desk and very comfortable high-backed chair. There was a terminal built into the broad tabletop, a wireless. slim keypad set next to the monitor and a small (for Imperial standards) but nonetheless sophisticated holodevice—it was clearly both a holoprojector and holovid. Luke touched the switch on the terminal and waited. The Imperial Logo appeared on the screen before the monitor went entirely black except for a small line of words: _ENTER PASSWORD_. 

_Of course, it would want a password,_ Luke thought with amusement. _Like Vader would just let me get into the ship’s system._

Luke switched off the monitor; he wasn’t in the mood to try random passwords again. 

The tabletop wasn’t bare and this left Luke mildly surprised. There was a large container filled with datachips set beside the monitor. A datapad on its charging stand could also be found nearby. The device was the best and latest model available and, once more, brand new. There was also a small collection of stylus pens sitting in a round cup by the monitor. Curious, Luke pulled out one of the datachips from its slot in the container and read the title: _A Complete Compilation Pertaining to the Founding and History of the Galactic Empire_. He blinked. 

_I wonder how much of this is fact? Or is it all Imperial propaganda?_ He pondered with a wry twist to his lips. 

Surprisingly, Luke found his answer this time. Scanning the titles of the other datachips, Luke discovered he had a small but extensive library on his hands. Although, while many of the datachips revolved around the Empire, there was a lot of other information offered and all were written by authors Luke recognized as reliable and neutral in their views. It was oddly refreshing to discover and only fed Luke’s interest in actually reading some of the titles. 

The datachips weren’t only about general matters but even covered individual planets, organizations, issues and individuals; from basic to advance knowledge of each unique world, group, topic or famous persona. Luke lingered the longest over the datachips detailing ships and machines, their designs and history… He recognized one datachip in particular ( _The T-16 Skyhopper Technical Journal_ ) that he had seen in a shop in Anchorhead when he was younger. He remembered how incredibly expensive it had been, especially for a poor farmboy, but he had wanted it so badly. He had tried saving up the credits for it by taking on odd jobs but, sadly, he hadn’t even been halfway close to the price when he had discovered it had already gotten sold. The sharp pang of disappointment from that memory made Luke almost immediately pop the datachip into the datapad and start reading. He had to fight hard to resist the overwhelming temptation and succeeded in fending off the desire by reminding himself that he had used what he saved to buy an actual T-16 instead of just a simple datachip. He chuckled aloud. His Uncle Owen hadn’t been happy but couldn’t do anything because it had all come out of Luke’s pocket. Well, most of it, Aunt Beru had secretly helped… Shaking his head and gently letting the memories fade away, Luke carefully replaced the datachip in its slot in the container. 

This wasn’t the time. Later. 

And Luke would make sure there was going to be a later, he’d definitely make the effort. Especially if it gave him a chance to finally get to read that datachip! 

Surveying the room, Luke had to admit that while he may not be too fond of some of the reading material, he definitely liked the design of the office. Like the bedroom, there were models and holopictures of ships and other machines. There was even an exquisite model of a T-65 X-Wing Starfighter on the desk! Luke was equally amused and alarmed over this little detail. There were no windows but with the many items inside, it wasn’t much of a problem. In fact, Luke felt that having a window with the view he had of the bedroom and the dining room would serve only as a distraction. And, that would be hardly productive after all. 

Holding the model of the T-65, Luke traced the familiar lines and contours of the starfighter with his fingers; it was like carrying a tiny version of his ship—Luke felt a sudden, sharp wrench; he missed his fighter but who he really missed was Artoo. He hoped the little guy was doing okay… 

: _Your droid is well. He is behaving; I advise you continue to do the same as well._ : 

Luke grinded his teeth together to keep the shocked cry that raced up his throat from escaping him; the hands holding the model clenched tightly over the replica in reflex. A testimony to the quality of its make, the model didn’t even creak under his harsh grip. 

: _Thanks for the heads-up, and it’s impolite to eavesdrop, you know!_ : Luke couldn’t help but retort pointedly. 

: _ **I** was not eavesdropping. You all but screamed that inquiry at me. I am actually being considerate by answering you. And **control** , child, you are shouting again._: 

Feeling chastised, Luke dropped his eyes to the top of the desk sheepishly. : _…Oh. Sorry about that… er, thanks for letting me know Artoo is fine. Can I see him?_ : 

: _No._ : 

Luke felt his temper flare up, along with alarm. : _Why not?! Is he really okay? How do I even know you’re telling me the truth that he’s fine?! For all I know, he’s scrap metal already. You can do a lot in two days!_ : 

: _Do you feel that I am lying to you?_ : 

Luke mulled over this question, listening to the Force that circled him. Finally, reluctantly, he answered. : _No, you’re not. As much as I wish I could say you are, you’re not._ : 

: _Very good. You may lack training but your instincts are exceptional. Always trust your feelings, they will not fail you._ : 

Luke wasn’t sure how to reply to that so he just continued the main point of this latest mental conversation. : _So, why can’t I see Artoo?_ : 

: _You have just finished all of your treatments and have only woken, I wish you assessed and cleared before anything further is to be done._ : 

: _Okay, once that’s all done, can I see Artoo then?_ : 

: _No._ : 

Luke rolled his eyes this time. : _Really, what is your problem? I just want to see my friend!_ : 

: _You are incredibly single-minded when you wish to be, aren’t you, child?_ : 

Luke felt a scowl creep onto his features. Vader was amused; at him. Again. Luke refused to let this deter him, however. : _Yes. I am. I’m pretty sure it isn’t that hard for you to just send him over so he can say ‘hi’. Or better yet, I could go see him!_ : 

: _I barely trust the two of you to behave when you are a ship-length apart; I doubt it highly you both would behave at all if you were in the same room together. No matter how short this visit is. And a commendable effort, little one. But you will not be leaving these quarters unless I am accompanying you._ : 

Luke couldn’t help but grin. Vader had a very good point; not that he would ever admit this to the Dark Lord. He hadn’t really thought Vader would let him out so easily either. : _Was worth a try. And, come on!_ : He found himself wheedling. : _Let Artoo visit! We’ll try to behave…_ : Luke paused as the words echoed in his mind. He had not meant to say they would try but, for some reason, he couldn’t conceal his true intentions when he was speaking with Vader like this. Why was that? 

: _I am certain you will ‘try’, young one._ : The rich baritone ‘voice’ was droll. : _I have no illusions that while you have chosen to adhere to a measure of prudence and behave presently I am certain once your droid is in your company he will easily entice you into making a foolish attempt at escape._ : 

Luke blinked. : _You sure know Artoo well._ : 

: _Yes. Far too well._ : 

: _HOW?!_ : 

: _Volume, child._ : Luke hardly minded the tap this time; even if it was slightly stronger than the earlier two. The skin of his forehead prickled. 

: _…Sorry._ : 

: _You truly need to be trained, little one. If I have not been constantly shielding you, the whole galaxy would be privy to your feelings and our conversations by now._ : 

Luke felt his cheeks burn. : _Sorry, and thanks, I guess. So how do you know Artoo?_ : 

: _That I will tell you when we speak physically. You have interrupted me. Again._ : 

: _So just tell me real quick so you can get back to terrorizing your people._ : 

: _If I told you the ‘quick’ version of my acquaintance with your droid, you will demand I elaborate and, currently, I have no time to indulge your questions. Secondly, I am not intentionally terrorizing my subordinates. I am directing them._ : 

Luke snorted aloud. : _Sure, you aren’t._ : 

: _You are very bold, Skywalker. Few would have the gall to speak so with me._ : 

: _It's good to hear an honest opinion once in a while._ : Luke quipped before becoming serious. : _Fine. I’ll wait but I want to know how you know Artoo and I want to know when I can see him and how soon._ : 

: _One-track mind, indeed._ : Again, there was that coloring of humor in the voice. Luke could have sworn he heard Vader add _Like your father_ , but he couldn’t be sure. : _You will see your little droid once my doctor has cleared you and after we talk._ : 

: _Yeah, if you don’t kill me!_ : 

: _I assure you, young one; I will not kill you. Even if you are trying very hard to annoy me into doing so._ : 

: _Trust me, Lord Vader. This isn’t even trying yet._ : Luke shot back with sudden heat. An onrush of emotion rose in him; a mixture of frustration over his situation, the impatience he felt over having to wait even more and the mild concern over Artoo. 

: _Read that datachip. child. I know that you very much want to and it will keep you out of trouble. If it will soothe your temper and impatience, my doctor will arrive shortly._ : 

: _Okay, now you were definitely eavesdropping there!!_ : Luke called back indignantly. 

: _Hardly, little one._ : This time the amusement in that deep voice was unmistakable. : _I can never be accused of eavesdropping when you all but shout your emotions at me. Continue to behave yourself. My ultimatum still stands._ : 

The impregnable shroud dropped over that corner of his mind again and Luke huffed explosively, letting out an irked noise. He carefully laid the model back onto the surface of the table, staring down at the polished surface and his distorted reflection, lost in thought. 

This mental connection he shared with Vader was… just another question he had for the Dark Lord. Why hadn’t Ben and he talked like this before? It would have been very useful back on the Death Star! It was also very interesting how he couldn’t lie while talking to Vader via the Force. He recalled how he had tried to say he was going to behave but ultimately could only promise a ‘maybe’ which was the truth. Was it an aspect of that communication? If it was, did that mean Vader couldn’t lie either? Abruptly, he remembered how Vader had said he was not ‘intentionally’ terrorizing his subordinates so he was aware he was still terrorizing them… Yeah, Vader definitely had the same issue. 

_At least, I’ll get the truth if we talk that way… and it could also be the reason he doesn’t want to tell me stuff via the Force. He can’t hide anything,_ Luke mused. This left him smirking widely; he could definitely use this. 

Idly, he wondered how long these meetings ran—his curiosity was really starting to eat at him, along with his other emotions. This could explain why Vader got so irate at times. If he had to attend these sort of meetings often and, from what Luke remembered about Imperial obsession with protocol and order… Luke would have been restless (and even irritated) himself by now—the very idea of being forced to sit through every single one of those numerous planning sessions the Alliance High Command insisted on having brought a grimace to Luke’s face. Yeah, he could relate. 

Letting his gaze wander as he mulled over the other possibilities of the mental communication, Luke’s eyes landed on a small, potted plant set on the corner across from the terminal; tiny blossoms of vivid yellow, vibrant violet and rich red adorned the verdant green leaves. There was a very faint, nearly indiscernible fragrance coming from the flowers. The little bit of flora was strangely relaxing and Luke stroked the leaves and blooms absently, relishing the silken feel against his fingers. But, all too quickly, Luke’s thoughts grew too loud to ignore. 

_As nice as this room is, there aren’t any more answers to be found in here,_ Luke concluded. _And I’m not done looking around yet._

He almost took the datareader and the datachip about the T-16 Skyhopper with him but just managed to stop himself. He needed to focus. He was still determined to escape and he would have an easier time if he knew exactly what this suite contained. He exited the office swiftly, striding over to the second door. Again, this door opened obediently once he came close—to reveal a familiar room. 

It was the elegant sitting room he had first seen two days ago. Luke ignored the room entirely and made a beeline for the large doors that led out into the corridor. 

However, unlike all the other doors; these did not open when he neared. 

_Yeah, I expected that,_ Luke smirked knowingly. 

He reached out and touched the control panel but, while the keys beeped softly in acknowledgement, the doors continued to remain sealed. After a good number of attempts, Luke finally had to accept defeat—for now—and retreated to the sitting room; deciding to see what this part of the suite had to offer. 

Like the rest of the quarters, the best feature of this room—at least, to Luke—was the floor-to-ceiling viewport. At one corner of the viewport, Luke noticed a single-seat recliner positioned right next to the transparisteel. He came over and sat in the chair and felt himself sink into the thick cushions. This was as comfortable as the bed had been… Quickly, Luke realized, the chair could swivel; he spun the seat so it completely faced the viewport. At this vantage point, he could only see the stars. 

_This could easily become my favorite spot,_ Luke thought with a smile, settling back into the chair. He admired the silent swirl of the stars for several minutes then pulled himself away to refocus on the room again. 

Aside from the chair, the only other pieces of furniture were the couch and its matching side tables. Along with the rest of the room, the platform was similarly overlaid by the same type of wine-color carpeting, though, it did not cover the whole stairs for some reason—only the top of the steps themselves had been carpeted. Luke wondered idly why it was like that. 

The youth rose and walked over to the dais, climbing the two low steps to get a closer look at the couch and its tables. The closest table sported, besides the lamp, a frame with a lovely holopicture of a beautiful lake, with a tiny island in the distance. Luke felt a twinge as he picked up the frame and stared down at the holo… it looked hauntingly familiar to him but Luke would have remembered this place if he had ever visited the site. Luke considered the holo until his eyes spotted the large chronometer sitting on the table. With some surprise, Luke discovered he had been awake for nearly two hours already. Gently returning the holoframe to its spot, Luke turned his gaze to the matching table; it had its own identical lamp, another holoframe with a stunning holopicture of a sprawling city built over a lake. Luke would have picked up this frame as well but his eyes spotted the remote. 

Picking it up instead, Luke peered down at the device; sleek in design and made of shiny metal, its weight was negligible. It was barely as wide as his index and middle finger together and only just long enough to sit in his palm snugly. Turning the slim rectangle over in his hands with slowly growing confusion, Luke couldn’t figure out its purpose; it only had a single round button, bisected into two half-circles. The only marks on either side was an arrow on each pointing in opposite directions. 

Luke blinked, shrugged and pressed one of the keys. 

With a soft whirring hum, the platform began to rotate. 

Luke flailed as the floor underneath him shifted, crying out as he did. Fortunately, it wasn’t too hard to keep his balance, and more importantly, he didn’t lose his grip on the device but he did release the button. The platform stopped. 

_Why the heck does this thing rotate?!_ Luke stared down at his feet in bewildered confusion… until, he lifted his head to look at the viewport. 

_Oh._

“That’s convenient,” Luke chuckled softly. _And downright hedonistic,_ he added to himself. _But, from what I’ve seen so far this place is full of stuff like this…_

He let his gaze rove the room, concentrating on the wall opposite of the viewport. There was a massive painting that dominated the wide space; he hadn’t really paid much attention to this two days ago but, now, he couldn’t look away. The image was breathtaking; it showed a forest with incredible detail but what was most riveting about the artwork was that the forest was first depicted in the height of spring, then, slowly across the canvas the seasons turned. Beginning in rich vibrant greens and blues of spring, to sharper and darker shades of the same hues but now with bursts of brilliant color as flowers bloomed and heralded summer, which contrasted starkly with the red and gold of autumn and then, finally the sheer, almost luminous white of winter. 

Luke approached the painting slowly, wonderingly. To someone raised in a desert, this was incredibly enthralling. The very idea of four seasons occurring in a single place was still something he couldn’t help marvel over. 

However, as Luke was admiring the artwork; he got another surprise. It was likely he had accidentally brushed against some hidden sensor because Luke heard a very soft _click_ then the painting sunk back into the wall and a gigantic holodevice dropped down. Luke blinked, momentarily disoriented and, even, a touch peeved. He wasn’t done looking yet! Then, he realized something else. 

_Well, this gives another reason why the couch moves and why there’s only a ‘small’ holodevice in the office,_ Luke mused, eyeing the huge holodevice array. The remote was in a holder on the side of the machine. Luke debated switching on the holoprojector before deciding against it. What would he even watch? Luke doubted he’d find much he’d like to see and, besides, knowing the security of this suite; majority of the holonet would likely be restricted. 

He took a slight step back, waved his hand about until he heard the familiar soft _click_ and the holodevice withdrew. The painting returned to its place on the wide wall and Luke stared at the picture until he reminded himself he wasn’t done looking at the rest of the room. He turned away with a sigh, stealing glances at the painting as he wandered around; whoever had chosen this piece had fantastic taste. 

Luke paused suddenly in one of his circuits when he noticed a familiar-looking control panel on the wall not too far from the painting and close to the wall dividing the dining room from the sitting chamber. He had nearly missed this because he was so focused on the artwork. Walking over, Luke touched the board and watched curiously as a section of the wall slid aside noiselessly. 

Looking inside, he discovered it was a compact refresher. 

Unlike its massive counterpart in the bedroom; this unit only contained a toilet, a wide counter and a wide, full-length mirror. It was fully outfitted as well. Cloth and paper towels in abundance, even the toiletries hadn't been neglected, aside from the standard liquid soaps, toothpaste (even a small collection of disaposable toothbrushes!) and mouthwash, there were lotions, colognes and even perfumes? 

Staring around this (to him, unnecessary) room, Luke scratched the side of his head. _If I ever needed to use the 'fresher, I don't have to go all the way back to the bedroom, I guess. Although, from those toothbrushes, I suppose this means that this 'fresher is for guests. I'm pretty sure **I** won't be the one using those perfumes!_ Shaking his head, Luke blew air out of the corner of his mouth and felt a crooked smile form on his lips. _This place really has everything… and some._

Closing the door, Luke returned to inspecting the rest of the sitting room. There were other state-of-the-art gadgets present, all carefully inserted among the artworks and furniture of the room. He hadn’t noticed this before—to be fair, he had other, more important matters to worry about. 

Like Darth Vader. Or getting sedated. Luke reminded himself he was going to have words with Vader about _that_. 

Sadly, Luke couldn’t pry any of the devices open; he was sure he could have done wonders with a lot of the components in them. However, all the devices had evidently been customized and carefully sealed. He wouldn’t be able to open any of them without tools, and there weren’t any of those in the suite. Luke had checked. 

_Given how much information Vader’s shown he has on me, I’m not surprised he knows about my habit of ‘fixing’ things,_ Luke pursed his lips. Darth Vader’s tenacity and fixation for details was both impressive and daunting. Once again, Luke was reminded how this man outmatched him so severely in practically every way. 

_Yeah, he told me to behave but even if I wasn’t willing to do what he wanted I’d have my work cut out for me,_ Luke admitted to himself. _So far, it’s proven to be impossible to get out of here unless someone helps me._

With that sobering revelation settling heavily in his mind, and finding nothing else of note or use, Luke returned to the platform; mounted the stairs and let himself flop, in an undignified heap, onto the couch. Just as he had suspected, the cushions rose to cradle him with the perfect blend of firmness and softness. Leaning back and stretching out his legs, he gazed around the sitting room, mind still whirling with thoughts. Taking the remote, Luke rotated the dais so he faced the doors leading out of the suite. 

He had a lot of questions; some about these very quarters. These set of rooms were not only spacious and wonderfully situated but thoroughly planned and designed; down to the tiniest detail. All of which was strangely—unnervingly—geared to _his_ tastes. 

_I didn’t even know I had any until now_ , Luke mused wryly, a cross between a grimace and a crooked smile slipping onto his face. 

It was evident that no expense had been spared in assuring comfort, practicality and beauty. The level of functionality wedded to aesthetics left Luke overwhelmed with awe and wholly bewildered and disconcerted. Why was all of this done? And, obviously done just for **him**. 

Luke almost— _almost_ —wanted that holding cell and all of his first assumptions to be correct. At least, that situation made sense. He really couldn’t begin to guess what were Vader’s plans; much less begin to even understand the Sith Lord himself. What was the point of giving him these rooms? Was it bribery? Why bother with this elaborate setup? What was Vader hoping to accomplish? The man was definitely aiming for some goal; Luke knew enough of Darth Vader to know he never did anything without a reason but… so much made no sense! Conversing mentally with Vader had only served to confuse him even more. 

The Dark Lord was… very different over that mental communication. Almost… gentle with him, acting very much like a… Luke’s mind retreated before the thought could finish; he _knew_ the Force was trying to tell him something but Luke suddenly didn’t want to know. He couldn’t deny the Dark Lord had a sense of humor and a very sharp tongue—conversations with him were actually enjoyable, he recalled the easy banter between them. In fact, Luke could count at least two instances where Vader had practically _teased_ him. He had even done the same himself—remembering his comment about ‘terrorizing’ his subordinates. This was definitely a side of Vader he would never have imagined existed. 

Of course, Luke had never met Vader outside the battlefield and that lone meeting had been exceptionally brief (if violent); could that be another reason? Was Vader a different man entirely outside of his duties as the Supreme Commander of the entire Imperial Starfleet? How much truth were there really in the stories he had heard over the years…? 

_Shoddy thinking, Skywalker!_ Luke berated himself silently a second later. _Don’t start assuming again, look where it got you up to now. I think it’s better I get all of the facts together first—after I make sure they’re the right ones, naturally._ Once more, his mind shied away from the epiphany the Force was all but screaming at him. Whatever this revelation was, it was _important_. But, Luke didn’t want to find out, not yet. 

He… wasn’t ready. 

The double doors of the suite suddenly sliding open scattered his thoughts and the youth locked his eyes on the opened entranceway. He stood, hands balling into fists reflexively. 

Luke wasn’t sure what to expect, refused to let himself assume, and braced himself for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Vader planned Luke’s quarters with the same single-minded fixation he’s given his missions. He went overboard since he never had the chance to plan the Nursery after all. He also based all of this on what he has managed to learn from all his stalking—er, I mean, parental supervision of his son. He added his own touches, too, which he knew his son would appreciate given their undeniable similarities.  
> I have no doubt Vader would spoil Luke rotten; even Anakin tended to dote on his loved ones—Vader would be the same or even worse, I imagine. He has missed out on nearly two decades of his son’s life; that’s roughly nineteen Life Day (Birthday) presents and if they have something like Christmas in GFFA that’s another nineteen gifts never given. He’s also seething over the fact his child wasn’t raised to the standards Vader felt Luke was entitled to so we should forgive him if he’s overzealous. (That, or this author was just overzealous in churning out descriptions. I lay the blame on Darth Vunny! Though, I’m not really complaining, I needed the practice and I’ve never written anything for Star Wars before. So, please forgive me. I claim ‘FIRST FIC’ failings!)  
> This chapter should have only been 7,500 words instead of the 10,500+ it reached and Vader wasn’t even supposed to make any appearance until chapter 04. BUT, NOOOOOO! Our Dear Sith Daddy insisted I had to incorporate him and give him a part (while I was doing the Beta-reading of chapter 02 no less! So I was forced to change a ton of stuff for both the chapter and even the entire story). Just so he could be a fussing!Parent (more like controlling, if you ask me. Luke thinks so too.). -.- I feel like Lando in Bespin. While I was writing out the additional scenes, Vader popped in my head, saying: “I’m altering the plot, pray I don’t alter it any further.”  
> Sith Lords!!  
> With Vader bulling his way into this chapter, I had to re-write five pages, scrap one page and a half of description and thoughts of Luke which no longer jived with the flow of the story plus change how I introduced the incoming OMC. UGHHH. The things I do for you, Vader… >.>;  
> 


	3. In Which Things Remain To Be Not What Was Expected…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke continues to struggle to understand his situation; his Imperial doctor provides some (troubling) insights that serve to confuse him more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> : _Words_ : - Mental communication  
>  _Words_ \- Thoughts

It wasn’t Darth Vader. 

Luke wasn’t surprised; he had known it wouldn’t be him. The black sun of Force power was still in the same spot. Luke brushed against it lightly, carefully. The shroud remained tight over the Sith Lord so he could perceive nothing but roughly where the man was. His emotions were also unreadable, much to Luke’s disappointment. The young rebel assessed all of this in seconds before focusing on his ‘visitor’. 

While he was not the Dark Lord of the Sith, this man was no less familiar to Luke. It was the older medical officer. Reflexively, Luke reached up and touched the inside of his elbow, right over the spot where he had been injected. The man also wasn’t alone. He had a… droid? 

Along with another hovercart, Luke noted with a spike of wariness. It didn’t look like the medical trolley but that did little to reassure him. 

The man, like Luke, wasn’t surprised in the slightest at the sight of the youth. Absently, Luke noted how clearly the man registered in the Force, clearer than most. This was very easy to discern without Vader’s dominating presence nearby… something tickled insistently at the back of Luke’s skull but he dismissed it; deciding he’d think about it once he knew what the doctor was here for. The medic, without any hesitation, stepped inside of the suite and the doors slid shut behind him as soon as he and the droid were past the threshold. 

Luke only caught a glimpse of at least two Stormtroopers on either side of the doors before they closed. He saw them clearly as they were all facing into the sitting room, blasters trained on him the instance they had spotted him standing in front of the couch atop the dais. 

Luke tucked that tidbit of information away; if he ever did get the lock on these ‘quarters’ open, he had to deal with four Imperials the moment he crossed the doors. From that fleeting glance he had gotten, these men didn’t look like your typical Stormtroopers either. They held themselves differently and something—the Force?—whispered they were especially equipped to handle him. 

_Something to worry about later,_ Luke thought, returning his attention to the man; regarding him with unconcealed caution and suspicion. At least, the doctor wasn’t holding any syringe this time, because if he was; Luke wasn’t letting him get anywhere close to him. 

As Luke had remembered, the man was tanned and very tall—mostly everyone was taller than him but this man would tower over others too; he was even slightly taller than Han—and broad-shouldered. Salt-and-pepper hair styled in the military cut, clean-shaven, rugged features that would have certainly drawn a good number of women on any planet. His most striking feature, though, were the keen gray eyes. And yet again, not a single wrinkle or crease on his black uniform. Luke suspected he had training in other fields too. He certainly moved like it—the memory of the man agilely dodging his kick two days ago rose in his mind. The young rebel wondered suddenly if the man was skilled in hand-to-hand; that same voice inside him told him that this ‘doctor’ would be dangerous in close quarters. After all, knowing Darth Vader and his near obsessive attention to details, he wouldn’t allow anyone to be alone with him if the Sith Lord believed Luke would have an easy time of subduing them. 

The man came to a stop before the first step leading onto the platform and inclined his head; offering a polite smile. “Good afternoon, Commander Skywalker. I am your doctor; my name is Ayden Vax.” 

The droid (Luke couldn’t recognize the model but, from its design, was evidently some type of service android) paused only to offer a deep bow to Luke before, pushing the hovercart in front of itself, trotted wordlessly past them to the door leading into the dining room and disappeared inside. Doctor Vax ignored the machine completely, his piercing gaze moving over his patient slowly. 

When he was satisfied, he nodded. “I apologize for my tardiness.” Ayden preformed a small bow to accompany his apology, to Luke’s startled consternation. “I should have been present when you awoke, in the event you needed my assistance. However, from your appearance, you managed well enough without me. Still, the lapse was mine. Please do not hesitate to inform me if I may be of any assistance now.” 

“Er…” Luke breathed deeply. “It’s fine, I’m good.” 

“Are you really ‘good’?” Ayden was quick to ask, a sudden smile adorning his lips—the formal mien vanished instantly. His mouth quirked, the smile turning crooked and he fixed Luke with that penetrating stare. “My last full medical examination set you at peak physical status and even the nutritional deficiencies have been remedied,” he winked good-naturedly. “I would like to hear it from you directly, however. Do you feel anything, anywhere? Have I missed something?” 

Luke blinked, utterly thrown by this very unorthodox Imperial. His presence in the Force was no less befuddling; he was honest in his warmth and concern. He was exactly like what a doctor should be. Even on Tantooine, Luke couldn’t recall meeting many medical practitioners who were this sincere and so clearly dedicated to their profession. The man knew his name, and surely, his reputation so why was he acting like this? Luke was quickly coming to a grudging admiration of Darth Vader and his foresight. A cold doctor would have made Luke raise his own defenses and obstinately refuse any medical treatment even if he had needed it. But, with Doctor Vax, Luke found himself having trouble even keeping silent and distant, let alone lie to the man. 

Aunt Beru’s constant admonitions to ‘always mind your manners’ and ‘always say thank you after someone does something for you, dear.’ weren’t helping his reticence and resistance at all. 

Belatedly realizing the man was patiently waiting for him to answer, Luke hastily waved his hands. “Yes, I’m really good, nothing hurts anymore…” And, surrendering to the memory of his Aunt, added earnestly. “Thank you.” 

“Good.” Ayden beamed, his presence brightening significantly in the Force. “And, you’re welcome.” 

Shocked, Luke could only stare at him mutely. 

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you awoke sooner than what is medically recorded.” Ayden continued casually, clearly ignoring the young rebel’s blatant bewilderment. “It isn’t an excuse but the reason I’m late is because I was seeing to the preparation of your meal. The kitchen staff took longer than I anticipated—it wasn’t their fault, though. I had _very_ specific instructions I wanted followed to the letter so I kept making corrections.” 

Luke didn’t really have anything to say to that so only nodded. He was also still adjusting to this man’s warm and engaging manner. Most imperials were either contemptuous or outright cruel. 

“I am sure you are starving and if you’re not, you will be very soon; that’s a side effect of your treatment. Nutrient feeding, while actually more effective, does not do the justice a good meal does.” Ayden cocked his head to the side, still examining his young patient. Luke returned his stare with one of his own; slightly uncertain but very determined. The man’s mouth quirked in obvious humor. Luke found that another puzzling facet of Ayden Vax. What was it that he found so damned funny? 

“Well,” Ayden said, just keeping the mirth out of his voice. “Let’s get you fed; follow me please.” 

Luke opened his mouth—to inform the Imperial he wasn’t that hungry and would have liked some answers instead but, at that instance, realized he was _starving_. The hunger that had been on the edges of his mind had been easy to dismiss before but now, with a vocal reminder, he felt his stomach growl—not _whine_ —loudly. 

Ayden said nothing, but his single raised eyebrow was enough to spurn Luke to move and step down the platform and join him. With a nod, the man turned with military-trained grace and guided him to the door leading back into the dining room. Luke easily fell into step beside him, though, he noticed that Ayden seemed almost to unconsciously slow and allow Luke to move in front of him. A strangely submissive gesture… no, Luke realized, it wasn’t an act of submission but one of deference. Unconsciously or not, Ayden was affording Luke the respect of a superior. This little fact was both confusing and alarming. 

Briefly, Luke wondered if he should refuse to eat whatever Ayden had readied for him. Quickly, in the wake of this thought, he balked for several reasons. He needed his strength and he doubted he’d be fed anything except whatever Ayden would give him—the man obviously decided what he could eat and, clearly, he worked closely with Darth Vader. The man’s ease with interacting with the dreaded Dark Lord of the Sith was the biggest clue. He was also really _very_ hungry; from Ayden’s words, he hadn’t had a solid meal in days. This was more than just two days, he had to count even the days he had been in the Rebel Base Medbay, and lastly, but definitely not least, were the voices of his Aunt and Uncle; Aunt Beru once more chiding him about his manners—the meal had been made _just_ for him, and Uncle Owen’s stern lecture about not wasting things, especially if it was food. 

_It isn’t like he’d drug me again,_ Luke thought with just a touch of sarcasm. _Well, unless Vader tells him to…_

Luke, and any thoughts he had, stopped short when he saw the dining table; the droid had certainly been busy. The change was shocking. 

Apparently, the trolley had been carrying a banquet. 

At the center of the long table, incidentally facing the transparisteel (the opposite chairs had even been moved to stand by the walls for an unobstructed view) was a staggering array of small, circular dishes: soups (both clear and thick), various fresh strips of vegetables with a collection of dips and dressings, little slices of meat coated in different sauces, slivers of assorted seafood and tiny balls of flavored grains. There were even two little plates of dessert; one containing a pile of mixed fruits shaped into bite-sized cubes and the second saucer held a small heap of creamy blocks Luke recognized were cheesecake, a treat he had tried before and come to really like. 

_Another point to the Imperial spynetwork,_ he mused wryly. _I'm not even sure how to feel over the fact they even found out I really liked cheesecake!_

The entire selection was arranged in a half-circle in front of a large plate of fine porcelain and silverware. Because of the sheer number of plates and bowls, Luke counted three rows. A pair of large crystal goblets, one filled with water and another with some yellow-orange colored juice sat on the right of the plate. A matching duo of pitchers were nearby for refills when needed. 

Not only did the whole feast smell incredibly delicious; the arrangement of the food looked equally magnificent. There was an artistic touch to how each piece of food lay on their plates or in their bowls. 

Luke gawked unabashedly. “…that’s a lot of food,” he finally managed. 

“Trust me, you’ll eat it all," Adyen assured him. "And isn’t as much as you think. It just looks that way since there are so many containers; the servings are actually very small. The reason there’s such a large variety is you require a certain combination of nutrients and nourishment and each of those items have it in the exact amounts you need. But, you can’t eat large portions yet so this is the best solution. Once your stomach has settled, I’ll introduce you to better allocations and less choices if you prefer.” 

“I doubt the cheesecakes are ‘necessary’,” Luke pointed out blandly. 

Ayden flashed him a grin. “ _Those_ are a treat. As a doctor, I know how my patients need a treat after they’ve been through their medication. And you deserve a reward for being such a good patient.” His smile morphed into a smirk. “If you don’t want it, I can have it removed…” 

“No, I’ll take it!” Luke hastily interrupted before the man could even lift a finger and felt his own mouth twitch into a slight smile at the man’s soft chuckle. 

“I thought so. Please take a seat.” 

Eagerly, Luke did. The droid silently offered a large napkin—which Luke accepted and set over his lap—then stepped back to stand near enough to be of any assistance if called but not so close as to be a hindrance. 

Ayden marched to stand (with his hands clasped behind his back and at parade rest) on his left, easily hidden by the high back of the dining chair. Luke swiveled around to regard him curiously. “From your words, I assume you’re not joining me?” 

“No, this is all for you. I don’t eat while I’m on duty unless it’s an official meal.” 

“I see,” Luke frowned. 

“Just forget I’m here. I can stand by the bar if you prefer. I’ll be out of sight but not too far away.” 

“I’ll still know you’re there.” 

“Ah,” Ayden’s mouth curved into a small, knowing smile. There was clear understanding in his gray eyes. “Would you like me to wait for you in the sitting room instead? As long as you give me your word you will eat all of this, of course.” 

Luke blinked then his eyes narrowed. “You’re very accommodating.” 

“I’m your doctor; my job is to make sure you are healthy so I will do whatever I have to in order for me to accomplish that goal.” 

“So, you just have to make sure I eat all of this then you’ve done your job?” 

“When you finish eating, I’ve completed half my orders.” 

“What’s the other half?” 

“I’m to keep you company until I am relieved.” 

“These are orders from Vader?” 

“Yes.” 

“Don’t you have other duties?” 

“I am Lord Vader’s personal physician and I answer only to him,” Ayden smiled faintly. “Presently, all my duties are to you. As he has commanded.” 

Once again, Luke gaped. “Why would Vader have his personal doctor treat me?!” 

Ayden regarded him gravely. “Because he is satisfied with my level of competence and would not leave the supervision of your health to just anyone.” 

“That isn’t the only reason,” Luke said shrewdly. “This is the _Executor_. Even to us Rebels, she’s the pride of the Imperial Starfleet. Everyone on board is competent; they have to be. Vader won’t allow it otherwise.” 

Ayden chuckled slightly. “Too true.” 

“What’s the real reason Vader assigned you to me?” 

Ayden merely continued to smile at him politely. 

“You know why.” 

His smile flattened to a line and Doctor Ayden Vax went silent. 

Luke huffed. “Alright, what _can_ you tell me?” 

Ayden’s smile returned. “I can divulge all of your medical information.” 

“That doesn’t really do me much good.” 

“No,” Ayden agreed readily. “But, at least you’ll know your current physical condition. Hmm, I can give you a detailed lecture on how to keep it at its peak, if you like. I am sure that would definitely do you some good. Well, _if_ you followed my advice, of course.” 

Luke shot him a lopsided smile. “No thanks.” 

“Children,” Ayden chuckled fondly, “especially boys, just never know what’s good for them.” 

“Do you have children?” 

“Yes, two of them. Twin boys, and both of whom are assigned to the _Executor_. You’ve already met my youngest; he was the one with me two days ago. He’s a very competent battle medic, and that isn’t just my father’s pride talking! If you need medical attention, and I’m unavailable, Lord Vader will likely assign him to you.” Ayden was grinning boardly, and Luke couldn’t find the Imperial anywhere in him. “Now, while my youngest is a fantastic doctor; my oldest is definitely a fighter. He’s a commander with the 501st Legion(1).” There was just as much pride in Ayden’s animated voice now as earlier while he was talking about his second son, and Luke felt the familiar stab of longing and envy. 

_A proud father…_ he thought wistfully before his features hardened and the old rage and grief he had harbored for the last three years surged up. _A father who I don’t have because of the very man this doctor works for._

“What’s wrong?” 

Luke blinked at the sudden brisk tone. He looked over to Ayden and found the man’s gray eyes were roving his face; the man had become very serious and focused. “Nothing…” he murmured, dropping his eyes to the tabletop as he struggled to regain control of himself. 

Ayden frowned deeply. For an instance, Luke had the sudden suspicion the man _knew_ exactly what he was feeling. “I’m very sorry that I’ve gone and distressed you.” 

Luke glanced at him sharply. He had been right; Ayden _had_ felt Luke’s emotions. What could this mean? The Force pulled at him but Luke was distracted as the doctor continued. 

“…Now, would you like me to go sit by the bar or remove myself to the sitting room?” Ayden offered solicitously. 

“No,” Luke shook his head vigorously. “Just sit here at the dining table. I could really use the company. Actually, if you won’t eat; why don’t you grab a drink from the bar if you want? I swear it has practically everything!” 

“I’m sure,” Ayden looked amused, and tempted. The slight tension between them faded entirely. “Thank you for the offer; sadly, I decline. If I don’t eat on duty, I definitely don’t drink.” Ayden pulled out a chair one seat away from Luke—to give him room, Luke suspected. Ayden respected space greatly; that was comfortably Imperial—and sat, leveling a stern look at him. 

“Now, your food is not going to walk into your mouth. Eat, Commander.” There was a hint of Imperial command lining the last word that made Luke smile briefly and give a small laugh. 

“Luke,” he blurted out. Luke was slightly startled over his outburst but he realized he’d rather Ayden call him by his name; the man was incredibly easy to like. “I’d rather you use my name instead of my rank please.” He finished somewhat shyly. 

Ayden’s face softened. “Of course,” he agreed easily. “Go on, Luke.” 

Luke swiveled around to face the array of dishes, he reached out with a hand and paused; unsure where to start. 

“Begin on the left, then work your way to the right until you get to the end. Do the same with the second row and the last row. And strictly no skipping. You can have your cheesecake _after_ you’ve eaten all the healthy stuff.” 

“Right,” Luke smiled crookedly and pulled the first little plate close. 

He demolished the dishes of the first row quickly, his hunger spiking the instance the first plate of food (lightly buttered bread with herbs) touched his tongue. He was nearly finished with the middle row of saucers when he slowed down to glance over at Ayden. 

The man was watching him steadily, had been since Luke started. The man’s face was inscrutable, but not unpleasant. Belatedly, he noticed how easily the man could make himself be forgotten, even his presence in the Force had become muted. Abruptly, Luke reached out with the Force, seeking… 

“You’re a Force-sensitive?!” Luke gasped. The fork in his hand falling with a loud clatter onto his plate. 

“Yes,” Ayden acknowledged calmly. 

“B-But—“ Luke spluttered. “V—Yo—I don’t—” 

“Easy, Luke,” Ayden said gently, and Luke felt sudden, _foreign_ calm washing over him—banishing his shock. His racing heart slowed. Luke froze, eyes wide before he instinctively _pushed back_ hard and this alien awareness vanished—his disbelief returned in an onslaught and he gasped, pitching forward from the potency of the emotion. Ayden caught him by the shoulder before his face hit the plate. When Luke had gotten himself under control again, the Imperial doctor gently let go of him and Luke slumped back into the chair, staring at him with wide eyes. 

Ayden merely met his gaze, his face morphing into a sharp look of surprise before settling into patient understanding. His voice remained calm and soothing. “I’m a Force-sensitive but my potential is very limited. Simply high level empathy, it has proven to be very useful in my profession as a doctor but it has little use elsewhere.” 

“You’re lying,” Luke countered immediately. 

Ayden’s mouth curved into a sharp, almost feral grin before his features smoothened. “Sharp boy.” He spun the chair to face Luke; clasped his hands together, steepling his fingers, and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. The gray eyes glinted as he regarded the youth. Luke returned the piercing stare with an intense look of his own. “My ability once was only useful for my profession but I’ve learned it can have other uses… with the right kind of motivation.” 

Luke wondered if he wanted to know what this ‘motivation’ could be, and he had a very good idea what Ayden could do with his Force Ability. He felt a slight chill slide down his spine. 

“You feel and control emotions,” Luke stated quietly. “You can probably make people feel whatever you want.” 

Ayden nodded, unfazed in the slightest at Luke’s insight. “I can. However, as you’ve proven, my ability is easily negated by another Force-sensitive.” 

Luke pursed his lips. “Not that easily…” He pointed out coolly; he recalled the power in the alien awareness. 

Ayden chuckled. “I’ve forgotten what it's like dealing with a powerful Force-sensitive…” He winked. “Aside from Lord Vader, that is. Yes, I can affect Force-sensitives, if they’re not _too_ powerful or taken by surprise. I’ve not really had much chance to face other Force-sensitives in decades after all. And, this facet of my Force ability is only very recently gained so I’ve never had the chance to pit myself against a Jedi. It would certainly be an interesting fight…” 

“You learned on your own how to handle your ability?” 

“Only the basics; I still had trouble with this ability at times until I met Lord Vader and he taught me. It was Lord Vader who realized my true potential and showed me how I could utilize it properly. I would never have imagined what I was capable if he hadn’t shown me. In exchange, I have given my full loyalty to Lord Vader. It wasn’t a very hard decision; I share the same goals as he does.” 

“And,” Luke asked slowly. “What are those goals?” 

“To make the Empire strong, to make it what it _should_ be. Not the mockery of what the Emperor has made it now.” Ayden’s face twisted in undisguised distaste. 

Confusion filled Luke. “Wha—” 

Ayden raised a hand, and Luke clamped his mouth shut. “That is all I will say. If you have more questions about this, direct them to Lord Vader; ask me something else.” 

“Can you do any of the other things Force-sensitives can?” 

“No, my ability in the Force was restricted to only sensing and manipulating emotions. It was the reason the Jedi did not take me.” 

Luke froze again. _Of course, given Ayden’s age… he’d be…_

“I had a very hard time with this ability as I grew up; no one helped me. The Jedi would never teach anyone who was not a part of their Order after all. Fortunately, I learned how to manage it and, in time, use it to my advantage to a certain degree.” Ayden’s smile was now ironic, edged in bitterness. “I was twenty-seven when the Jedi Purges began and I was very glad that the Jedi had deemed me unfit. I wouldn’t have wanted to be slaughtered, especially over something as trivial as my Force affinity.” 

“It’s not that trivial!” Luke protested. “You can do a lot of damage. And, I'm sure it made you a really good doctor since you can tell what's wrong with a person.” 

“Remember, I didn’t have very good control back then. My ability was a double-edge sword; it helped me and troubled me equally. I had resigned myself to this type of existence until Lord Vader.” 

“Oh… so not all Force-sensitives became Jedi?” Luke inquired. He was reeling over this revelation. He had always assumed that every Force-sensitive was a Jedi in the Old Republic. _There you go assuming stuff again, Skywalker,_ he scolded himself. _I really need to break this habit, it’s too dangerous._

“Only Force-sensitives of a certain affinity with the Force were taken from their families by the Jedi Order. You, they would have snatched the instant you were born, I imagine.” 

“Snatched?” Luke echoed incredulously. 

“The Jedi Order tended to be rigid in their beliefs. In normal cases, they do their utmost to convince families to give up their infant children willingly but won’t insist if the family is adamant in keeping the child and the child isn’t too powerful. Given how great your potential is, I imagine they’d have done all they could to get you. Even if it involved a different kind of ‘persuasion’. They’d done it before. And they’d believe it was the ‘Will of the Force’ as you are so strong with it.” 

“They took _infant_ children?!” Luke was aghast. He wanted to call Ayden on his lie—but the Force only thrummed with the truth. Ayden wasn’t lying… 

“They only ‘allowed’ infant children to join the Order,” Ayden explained coolly. “The younger, the better. The oldest children to join the Jedi Order were eight to twelve months old. There are cases of a child being accepted when they are slightly older but these were _very_ rare exceptions. And, the child would not be older than five. The children the Jedi took were forbidden to ever contact their families; in many cases, these children grew up never knowing about their biological family. This ensured they won’t develop attachments. It was the most important tenet of the Jedi Code, the rule of ‘No Attachments’. The Jedi denied themselves any form of love. Or even emotions for that matter. It was the main reason I was rejected. After all, all I can feel is emotions. I easily form attachments; how can I not? If they made me suppress this according to their doctrines, I would be useless to the Jedi Order.” 

Luke was stunned. _Wait…_ He leaned closer to Ayden. “What about the children of the Jedi?!” 

Ayden looked at him gravely. “Jedi did not have children, Luke. It would have been a huge scandal if it was discovered a Jedi ever had a child in the Old Republic.” 

His mind slowly absorbing this fact, Luke only stared at him speechlessly before he raised his next question. “What would have happened to the Jedi Knight?” 

“He or she would have been expelled from the Jedi Order.” 

“And the child?” 

“That would depend heavily on the child’s Force-sensitivity. If the child was strong, the Jedi Order would have pressured the parents to relinquish the child to them. They might even ‘insist’. In fact, I’m sure they would have. I imagine a Jedi would have a better chance than most of producing an exceptionally powerful Force-sensitive child. At the same time, the child may have no Force-sensitivity whatsoever. I would think that would be more of a blessing than a curse for the child in this case.” 

Once again reeling under the myriad of emotions this revelation created, Luke sunk deeper into the chair, his chin dropping down to nearly brush the collar of his shirt. He had _never_ imagined this was how the Jedi Order worked. Ben had never… 

“Luke.” 

He raised his head. Ayden was regarding him with a compassionate smile. “You need to finish your food.” 

“I’m not really hungry anymore.” He told him softly. 

“I’ve gone and distressed you again,” Ayden clucked, clearly irritated with himself. 

Luke felt a faint smile tug at his lips. “No, it’s not your fault. I just never heard… actually, I should have realized sooner. Whenever I met people who had heard about my father, or about the Jedi, they would be shocked to find out I was his son…” 

“Well, given who your father was, that isn’t surprising. I could just imagine the media circus this would be if this was found out twenty-two years ago.” 

Luke instantly perked up. “You know about my father?!” 

Ayden pursed his lips. “Everyone knew about Anakin Skywalker. Especially during the last years of the Clone Wars.” 

Eagerly, Luke sat up and leaned forward again; his mouth opening. 

“No.” Ayden said immediately, cutting him off. “I am not talking about Anakin Skywalker.” 

Luke felt his face fall. 

Ayden winked. “Until you finish eating all of your food.” 

Luke broke into a huge grin. “You drive a hard bargain.” 

“I’m your doctor, young man, and I have my orders; I’ll do whatever it takes to complete them. Now, eat.” 

Luke obeyed, pulling the next plate over to him. 

He restarted, slowly at first, but as the delicious flavors flooded his mouth; his appetite gradually returned. Ayden remained silent but was a quiet, relaxing presence at the edge of his senses. Luke had tried to get him to talk but the man simply raised an eyebrow and pointed at the remaining dishes. Luke had to laugh. He had to hand it to Ayden. He was very good with motivating his patients into doing exactly what he wanted. Even without his Force ability. 

Shortly, Luke arrived at his cheesecakes. In spite of his excitement that he would be hearing more stories about his father, Luke lingered over the creamy blocks. He had only had this treat a few times but these were definitely the best he had ever tried. 

Barely finishing with swallowing his last mouthful, Luke turned to Ayden expectantly. “So, what are you allowed to tell me?” 

Ayden made a point of standing and carefully inspecting the slew of empty dishes before nodding in satisfaction. He gestured to Luke to rise and follow him out of the dining room. “I’ll be more than happy to tell you what I remember, but I suggest we move this discussion to the sitting room.” 

Luke bobbed his head quickly in agreement and rose, stopping briefly to look at the droid. “Thanks!” 

The droid blinked slowly before bowing deeply. “You are most welcome, Sir.” It spoke in a soft, melodious tone before moving forward to begin clearing the dishes away. 

By the door leading into the sitting room, Ayden looked mildly bemused. “You thanked the droid?” 

Luke walked over to him and raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Of course, I did. He did a great job setting up all of the food and he’s cleaning up after me. I’d thank the kitchen staff too but I don’t think I’ll see them; could you do that for me please? The food was the best I’ve ever eaten, not that I’ve eaten anything like this before but it was really good! I also definitely liked the cheesecake…” Luke trailed off and snapped his fingers. “Oh, and thank you for your part in this too. You did supervise.” 

The Imperial looked even more mystified but Luke could feel the approval radiating from him. “You’re welcome, Luke. And, I’ll be sure to let the kitchen staff know you really enjoyed the meal. You have a good foundation of manners,” Ayden complimented. 

Luke only shrugged. “Good people raised me.” He explained simply. 

“It shows.” 

“So, about my father?” Luke cajoled. 

“Yes, yes.” Ayden nodded and urged Luke back into the sitting room and towards the couch. “Take a seat first… unless, you’d like to sit at the recliner by the viewport?” 

“No, the couch is fine.” Luke all but bounded up the platform, over to the couch and plopped down. He looked at Ayden with a touch of impatience. “C’mon, I can tell you’re just stalling now! Spill!” 

Ayden laughed, held up his hands placatingly as he came to a stop before the first step of the dais. “I guess I am a little. I’m not sure where I should start when it comes to talking about Anakin Skywalker.” 

“Well,” Luke tapped his bottom lip. “What did you know about him?” 

Ayden cocked his head to the side, gray eyes becoming distant. “Anakin Skywalker was very prominent in the Clone Wars. He was at the center of the Old Republic’s propaganda; It didn’t help he was exactly what they needed. He was the most powerful Jedi of his time, he was an incredibly cunning tactician. Majority of the victories the Old Republic could flaunt were because of him. Many times, he had single-handedly turned the tide of battle.” 

“Well, that’s news to me,” Luke confessed. “Most people I talked to usually had something more personal to say about my father. That he had helped them or a relative or a friend… A few shared with me what they had heard from somewhere or someone else.” 

“I’m not surprised,” Ayden told him. “Most people who remembered the Clone Wars would likely not be willing to talk about the Jedi unless they had been personally affected. It’s considered seditious and punishable by arrest and even execution if you’re discovered to be talking about Jedi or their philosophies.” 

Luke stopped. “Wait, you won’t get into trouble, right? I’m pretty sure this part of the suite is under surveillance.” He looked around anxiously. 

Ayden smirked. “I have clearance; don’t worry about it.” 

Luke fixed him with a surprised look. “From Vader?” 

“Yes.” 

Luke frowned darkly. “I thought so. Do you know what the connection of Vader is with my father?” 

Ayden only stared at him silently. 

“Right,” Luke huffed. “Another topic I have to ask Vader.” 

“Yes,” Ayden offered an apologetic smile. “Trust me, you’d rather hear it from him instead of me.” 

“I’m sure,” Luke muttered angrily. “He killed my father after all.” 

Luke didn't miss the widening of Ayden's gray eyes or the powerful wave of utter shock, edged with hints of dark rage, radiating from the man. "…I assume you never heard about this?" he asked carefully. 

Ayden shook his head. “Who told you this?” he finally asked, his tone very neutral. 

“My father’s former master, Ben Kenobi… well, Obi-wan Kenobi, I mean.” 

Ayden pressed his lips together tightly. “I see.” His tone was still flat. So incredibly emotionless that Luke found himself taken aback and unnerved.(2) Ayden had never felt so much like a stranger in this moment. 

He reached into the Force and brushed against the Imperial. Luke frowned. Ayden’s presence in the Force had suddenly disappeared entirely. This felt a great deal like Vader’s shroud but, unlike the Dark Lord who was still so prominent in the Force even if he was all but untouchable, Ayden was simply _gone_. Luke stared intently at the still and silent doctor. If he wasn’t looking at the man, he’d have thought the Imperial had left. 

Silence fell over them and it wasn’t comfortable. Luke reached out and pulled one of the square pillows onto his lap, just to keep his hands busy. The fabric of the pillow felt like velvet and quickly warmed under his touch. Luke toyed with the corners. As the first hints of real unease crept over the youth, Ayden visibly shook himself. 

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. The man’s presence returned in the Force, once more soothing and gentle. “I seem to be developing a bad habit of distressing you.” 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Luke shot him an encouraging smile and hastily waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “I suppose since you clamped up, you can’t talk about this?” 

Ayden quirked his eyebrow. 

“Changing the subject, then.” Luke sighed and slouched against the backrest. “By the way, why are you all the way down there? C’mon up and take a seat on the couch; there’s plenty of room.” 

“I don’t wish to be presumptuous,” Ayden smiled benignly. “Thank you.” 

He climbed the steps and took a seat nearly across from Luke. Luke flashed him another smile. It really was far too easy to like this Imperial, Luke concluded. Even though he knew there were many hidden layers within him. And not all of them were good. 

“Is there anything else you can tell me about my father?” 

Ayden hummed. “Well, I was a big fan. A lot of people were, even among the Separatists he was respected and even liked. In spite of being a Jedi, he was a good man; passionate and fierce but also compassionate. A far cry from the ideal of a Jedi Knight, even if the Old Republic glossed over this little fact.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes, as I told you earlier, Jedi do not believe in emotions. Your father didn’t repress them like a normal Jedi would. He even allowed them to rule him at times.” 

Luke regarded him thoughtfully. “How did you find this out?” 

“There were many stories of how he was known to act impulsively, even recklessly in the campaigns he undertook. He was called 'The Hero With No Fear' and he certainly acted like that. Many of his tactics had been called bold, even borderline suicidal; that's hardly the description you'd give a Jedi Knight who were supposed to be calm and thought out every action, now is it?" 

"Seriously?" Luke exclaimed. "My father was really reckless?" 

"Reckless and emotional. I recalled he had to visibly control himself at times. He had a lot of Holo appearances so it was pretty evident if you know what to look for," Ayden leaned back. "But, the best observation I had of his lack of control... I met him once, just before the Fall of the Old Republic.” he admitted softly. “As you know, my abilities weren’t always under my control. I can easily be overwhelmed by beings who feel very strongly. Let’s just say when I encountered your father; his emotions hit me with enough force to put all of the _Executor’s_ cannons to shame.” 

Luke winced in sympathy. “What happened?” 

Ayden snorted. “I blacked out. I couldn’t take it.” 

“Did my father help you at least?” 

“He didn’t even notice.” Ayden laughed good-naturedly. “Don’t worry, I never held it against him!” 

Luke shook his head in disbelief. “My father managed to knock you out cold and didn’t even notice what he did?” 

“Yes.” Ayden shrugged. “He must have had a great deal on his mind, I imagine. Anyway, I woke up perfectly fine in the Senate medcenter forty minutes later; someone found me crumpled in the corridor and brought me there. You should have seen my embarrassment when they found out _I_ was supposed to be the senior medic on duty.” 

Luke couldn’t help but join Ayden in laughter this time. 

“One of my most embarrassing moments, let me tell you!” 

“You worked at the Senate?” 

“Yes, I was one of the senior medics assigned there. Not to be arrogant, but I was the best in my class so I was hired before I was even out of medschool. I took the job because I felt I could make a small difference if I was protecting the health of the people who ran the government since I couldn’t help the troops on the frontlines like I really wanted to.” Ayden’s smile tilted. “It was a very… enlightening job. I discovered just how far the Old Republic had fallen…” He trailed off before shaking his head. “I could never be a battle medic. With all the rampant emotions on the battlefield, I would be useless. I already had a hard time in the Emergency Room of a Medcenter. It took me over a decade after I graduated to finally be able to function well on a battlefield, and even so, if I ran into a very emotional person or a strong Force-sensitive, I would still be affected at time until Lord Vader taught me better.” 

“You’re an incredible doctor, even if you had so many problems. I’m really impressed how far you managed to get in your profession. Most people would have just give up!” You’d get full recommendations from me.” Luke beamed at him before the grin flipped into a mild frown. “I wonder why my father went to the Senate that day. Was it for the Jedi? I know they were Peacekeepers but I didn’t realize they were that closely involved with the Senate.” 

“At the time, the Jedi were very closely involved with the Senate; the Clone Wars forced them to answer directly to the Office of the Chancellor. It was one of the many emergency powers afforded the man. I do remember clearly just before I blacked out that your father came charging out of Former Chancellor Palpatine’s office,” Ayden explained absently, lost in his memories. 

Luke felt his breath catch. “ _Who_?!” 

Ayden blinked owlishly, yanked out of his recollection by the boy's tone. “Former Chancellor Palpatine, you do know the history of the Old Republic, correct?” 

“Yeah, I know about that but _my father **knew** Emperor Palpatine_?!” 

Ayden only blinked again. “Yes. It was a very well-known fact in the Senate of the Old Republic that Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and then Chancellor Palpatine were very close.” 

Luke stared, an icy chill slowly slithered down his spine. He repressed a shudder. “ _How_ close?” 

Concerned and alarmed, Ayden fixed him with a searching look. “I am not going to answer that if it’s going to distress you more than I can feel it’s distressing you already. I think we should change the subject again, this is really defeating the purpose I’m here. I think I should leave; I’ll infor—” 

“No!” Luke jumped up and raised his hands up. “Please, just tell me?” 

The Imperial doctor pressed his lips tightly together, clearly recalcitrant. 

Luke merely leveled a look of pleading at him. “Please?” 

Ayden scowled. “My youngest tried that technique on me when he was six.” 

Luke flashed a tiny smile but didn’t let his expression falter. “Did it work then?” 

Ayden crossed his arms. “No.” 

Luke refused to give up. 

Ayden's scowl deepened and Luke continued to stare at him beseechingly. 

Finally, Ayden let out an explosive sigh. “…you’re a lot better at it then he ever was,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. “Let’s compromise; I tell you and we switch the subjects entirely. This is clearly not a topic I want to continue. Fair?” 

“Fair.” Luke nodded sharply. 

“From what little I knew of their history, since your father joined the Jedi Order at the unprecedented age of nine—” Ayden started. 

Luke felt his jaw drop in shock. “Nine?! But earlier you said the Jedi Order didn’t take children older than—“ 

Ayden shot him a pointed look and the youth clamped his mouth shut, giving him an apologetic quirk of the lips. “As I said, it was unprecedented and likely one of the main reasons your father wasn’t the atypical Jedi Knight. He started his training with the Jedi Order very late. But, that is a moot point; the reason I bought up this fact is as early as then, I already heard stories of Former Chancellor Palpatine favoring your father. I could be wrong. I only started working in the Senate five years before the end of the Old Republic. While I may have listened and followed the gossip mill at the Senate I might have misheard some things and you shouldn’t believe everything you heard from there either.” 

“Alright,” Luke hummed pensively. “What about your personal experience? You must have learned a good number of things in those five years you were there. I think I can trust your observations over whatever rumors were circulating.” 

Ayden sighed. “You ask all the hard questions, don’t you, Luke?” 

“Yeah, I’ve been told I do,” Luke grinned cheekily. “Just let me know what _you_ thought and we can talk about something else.” 

“Very well.” Ayden rubbed his chin. “From what _I_ could see and feel, the Former Chancellor treated your father like… well, I guess a student. At most, I'd even call the Chancellor acting like a father. Whenever I saw them, he was always telling your father some bit of advice or listening to your father talk about things. I wasn’t close enough to hear the words but from their expressions; I always had the impression they were acting a great deal like a mentor and his favorite student or a father and son. It was already accepted they were very good friends.” 

There was a cold lump in the pit of Luke’s stomach and he rubbed his suddenly cold hands together to warm them. “What did you feel from former Chancellor Palpatine whenever you were near him?” 

Ayden directed a flat look at the youth. “I thought we were finished with these questions.” 

“Just this last one, please.” Luke requested softly. Ayden studied him intently before giving a curt nod. 

“Most of the time, I felt very little from him.” Was the unsurprising reply. Luke had already, somehow, known that this would be the answer. “He was always very calm and in control. When I did pick up any emotions from him, they were only small slivers which is what I’d expect from an accomplished politician. In fact, in some ways, he was as serene as many of the Jedi. But, I admit, I didn’t like staying around him much so I can’t really say what he’d feel like if he was in a difficult situation. Satisfied?” 

“Yes, thanks.” 

Once more, silence fell over them. Luke was content to let the hush settle. He had a lot to think about; carefully, he tucked away everything he had just heard in his mind. He had discovered a great deal about his father; more than he had ever thought was possible. Once more, Luke wished Ben was still alive; he had so many more questions now. Questions he knew the Jedi Master could have easily answered. Their time had been far too short; Luke would never ever have imagined that his father’s life had been so complex. There were hidden layers here. Anakin Skywalker wasn’t simply a powerful Jedi Knight. He had been acknowledged as the most powerful of his time, admired and feared by the Old Republic and the CIS. He had been hailed to be the ideal of the Jedi Order and, yet underneath this public perception of him, he was clearly anything but that. He was passionate where Jedi were calm and hardly the paragon of Jedi doctrines. According to Ayden, he clearly had went against the very tenets of the Jedi Order. After all, Anakin had had Luke, hadn’t he? Luke couldn’t believe that Ben didn’t bother to tell him any of this! Was it simply because there was no time? Or was it something else entirely...? 

Luke wondered. 

Even with all the stories he had heard so far, Luke felt he had only barely scratched the surface of the life his father had lived. _And, if I understand this right, my father was living a double life,_ he mused. _He must have had so many secrets, was that why he managed to knock Ayden out when he met him? Could it all have been too much? Had he run to Palpatine for advice? But, if he had; why was he running **away** from the Chancellor’s Office? And the most important question: where does Darth Vader fit into all of this?_

Pensively, Luke raised his head. “Doctor Vax, I’ve got a few questions…” 

“Call me Ayden, or Vax. No need for my title; I think we’ve passed the need for formality an hour ago.” Ayden went serious. “If these new questions involve your father, I refuse. You’ve just managed to calm yourself down and I am unwilling to disturb you again.” 

“Well, it’s more about you.” 

“If it involves me divulging any more embarrassing moments, I pass again.” 

Luke chuckled, grinning. “Nothing like that, it’s about your Force ability.” 

“Oh. Hmm, alright, I might be willing to answer questions about that. Go ahead and ask them but I reserve all right to refuse to answer if I don’t want to.” 

“Can you… I’ve noticed that if you had to tell me a lie or tell me nothing at all; you choose not to say anything at all. Can you even lie?” 

“I can lie,” Ayden said. “But, to someone like Lord Vader, and to you, it would be pointless. The Force will tell you instantly I lied. Why do you think you knew I was lying when I told you about the range of my Force ability?” 

“You were testing me?” 

“No, I knew you can tell if I’m lying or not. I just wanted to see if you’d admit it aloud to me.” 

“You know a lot about me.” 

“…” 

“…and you know the _real_ reason Vader hasn’t killed me and is doing all of this. It involves my father; I know it does!” 

Again, only stony silence met Luke’s outburst. 

“Why can’t you just tell me already?!” Luke snapped hotly. 

“I am under orders, and it isn’t my right to tell you. This right belongs only to Lord Vader.” 

“Fantastic!” Luke rolled his eyes, slouching deep into the cushions of the couch. “Basically, if I want answers; I have to wait until Vader comes to see me.” 

“Yes, and just wait a little longer, he’ll be done soon,” Ayden smiled encouragingly. “These meetings don’t last longer than four hours and you’ve been up for three already. He was actually the one who let me know the instance you awoke—” 

: _Sure, you’re not eavesdropping!_ : Luke sent tartly. He could swear he _felt_ the echo of a rich laugh. 

“—I informed him immediately of my situation and he told me you would be monitored remotely until I could join you. Of course, he did tell me to expedite my preparations. He said you might get dangerous ideas and take reckless actions.” 

“I’m sure.” Luke smirked before the smile morphed into a quizzial frown. “By the way, I thought I only had to be sedated for the first dose of my treatment.” 

“Yes.” 

“So, why did I only wake up now?” 

“Lord Vader insisted you remain sedated until you were fully recovered.” Ayden’s mouth twitched upwards. “He mentioned that it would ensure that if you get yourself injured again; at least you would be at peak health.” 

_I’m not **that** accident-prone!_ Luke fumed silently. “Wow, the Dark Lord of the Sith has a sense of humor.” He grumbled aloud. 

“Quite, especially involving you… but I think, in this case, he was deadly serious.” 

“…right.” 

Furious to the point beyond his restraint, Luke didn’t bother to ‘mind’ his voice this time. : _It was bad enough you had me sedated without my permission! But you even kept me drugged for the whole thing?! I can't believe you!!_ : 

: _You would never have willingly accepted the treatment, and **volume**._ : Came the sharp retort, accompanied by a stinging cuff. : _I had other matters which needed to be handled without you making a nuisance of yourself. Which you are being at the moment._ : 

: _You really should learn to ask first, you know!_ : 

: _Given your previous temperament, would you have agreed?_ : 

: _That isn’t the point!_ : 

: _That is the **entire** point. You were suffering from old injuries which were not attended to properly because of the incompetence of your allies. Given your attitude towards your own well-being, I would not trust you to make prudent decisions in regards to your health._ : 

: _Jeez, who died and made you my father?!_ : 

: _According to you, your father._ : 

Luke gaped outwardly, ignoring Ayden’s bemused expression and gentle inquiry. : _ **!!!**_ : 

: _Impressive, I actually managed to reduce you to sending pure emotion. This is an interesting experience, you certainly have very powerful feelings. These will serve you well; once you’ve managed control, of course._ : 

: _I can’t—can’t—believe you just— **just** — **!?!?**_ : 

: _Enough. You are only prolonging our inevitable discussion by constantly distracting me. We will talk **later** , young one._: 

And, once again, that unbreachable shroud fell. 

Luke punched the square cushion on his lap in sheer frustration before launching it away from him with an inarticulate shout. The cushion landed beside Ayden. 

“What did the poor pillow ever do to you?” Ayden’s voice was amused. 

“I tend to take my anger out on these." Luke growled, grabbing another pillow and wringing the square pillow in his hands. "But, the real culprit is your Dark Lord!" 

“And what did my Lord do now?” 

“He’s not at all apologetic he pretty much drugged me without my consent!” 

“Well, you wouldn’t have said yes, right?” 

“He should have at least asked me! And, of course, you’d side with him!” 

“As I recall, you didn’t even allow me to fully explain why I recommended sedation as part of your treatment before you very vehemently refused,” Ayden fixed him with a lightly reproachful look. 

Luke felt a little sheepish. Ayden had a good point. “…sorry. Wait a minute, you’re not surprised I was talking to him?” 

“Hardly,” Ayden confirmed. “I knew it was possible.” 

“Has he done it with you too? Talk mentally?” 

“Once or twice. Mental communication is very difficult and subject to a lot of factors and restrictions.” 

“What are they?” 

“Well, the largest factor is the strength of the Force-sensitives involved. Mental communication between Lord Vader and myself is not too difficult per se; my Force ability seems to allow for easy mental communication. According to Lord Vader, this is because mental communication via the Force involves emotions. However, as I am not very strong, Lord Vader has to shoulder most of the effort in keeping us connected. I think the farthest we’ve spoken to each other is across the _Executor_. Lord Vader and I have never really had the need to discover how far we can keep in contact. I suppose we’ll test it one of these days.” 

“Can a Non Force-sensitive hear us if we tried to talk to them this way?” 

“That’s a good question,” Ayden pursed his lips in thought. “I suppose it’s possible, but the Force-sensitive would have to handle the entirety of the connection. The Force-sensitive will have to be very strong and I imagine the range would be very limited. Or, it’s possible, it will be only a one-way connection; we can send our thoughts to them but they can’t send theirs to us…” 

“Too bad we can’t test it.” Luke was wistful. 

“We could, if you’re so curious. I can get Novan or Tryslen to help.” 

“Novan? Tryslen?” 

“Oh, sorry. My sons, Novan is my eldest and Tryslen is my youngest. They're both not a Force-sensitives.” 

Luke blinked in surprise. “They aren't?” 

Ayden nodded. “Yes.” 

“That’s surprising,” Luke said slowly. “I would think that they would have some Force-sensitivity.” 

“It isn’t always the case,” Ayden explained. “In fact, it was one of the reasons I suspected the Jedi Order easily forbade marriage and children. Force-sensitivity isn't inherited." 

Luke cocked his head to the side. "It isn't?" 

The doctor nodded. "According to a very old study I read once while I was still in Medschool, it was proven. It was a very extensive case study done about three thousand years ago, when the Jedi Order was vastly different from what it was during the Clone Wars. The study spanned three hundred years and revolved around several dozen families of various species which had histories of Force-sensitives in every generation. It showed how utterly random the appearance of Force-sensitivity was. There were incidents where family members who weren’t at all Force-sensitive would have a very strong Force-sensitive child while two Force-Sensitive individuals birthed several children who had no Force-sensitivity whatsoever. It was a very interesting read. I wonder if it’s still in the library in the First Coruscant University…” 

“Wow, I never would have guessed!” Luke was fascinated. “So, there was actually a chance I could have been a non Force-sensitive?” 

“Yes, but the fact you are and so very powerful… Well, not to quote Jedi philosophies but… I guess it was the 'Will of the Force'.” 

Luke grinned. “Yeah, I suppose it was.” 

“We won’t be able to run your little experiment now but I can make arrangements if you like. With Lord Vader’s permission, of course.” 

Luke had to roll his eyes “Naturally,” he drawled. 

Ayden only grinned. 

“I was wondering…” Luke began. 

“Yes?” 

“Well, we can’t see if a Non Force-sensitive can receive us but can you receive what I send you?” 

“I’m sure I would,” Ayden shrugged. “You’re communicating with Lord Vader and, from your reaction, you’ve never done it before.” 

“It could all be Vader’s doing.” 

“Somehow,” Ayden said dryly. “I doubt that highly.” He paused and studied Luke. “Are you really that curious?” 

Suddenly feeling shy, Luke said softly. “Aside from Ben and Vader, you’re the only other Force-sensitive I’ve met.” 

“Ah,” Ayden regarded him with a gentle smile. “It does feel lonely, doesn’t it? When you try to explain your abilities and no one can relate or even bothers to try to understand?” 

“Yes,” Luke murmured, recalling how Leia and, especially, Han would react when it came to his Force-sensitivity. Or the rest of the rebels, for that matter. 

Ayden exhaled slowly. “Well, I don’t think it can hurt for us to do a little experiment to pass the time; let’s give it a try then.” He flashed the youth an encouraging smile. “Go ahead.” 

Gathering himself, Luke stared hard at Ayden. : _Hi?_ : 

Instantly, Ayden hissed out a wounded sound, clenching his eyes shut and burying his fingers in his hair as he toppled back into the couch. 

Luke hastily jumped up and rushed over to him. “I’m sorry!” he cried out anxiously. "Are you alright?" 

Wincing again, Ayden stared up at him blearily. “It’s fine… I’ll be fine… Okay, I spoke too soon; that _hurt_." He offered a lopsided smile at the distressed youth. “I think you should refrain from mental communication with other people; I’m still hearing a _very_ loud and resounding echo.” 

Luke looked contrite. “Yeah… I’m really not good at this.” 

“More of, you’re too good,” Ayden murmured, moving his arm over his eyes. “You don’t know your own strength which isn’t your fault. There was no one to train you and, since you’re fully grown, you’ve reached your full potential. That, and I think you’re just trying too hard. The fact I’m very close probably didn’t help either...” 

“I guess...” Luke returned to his seat and flopped back down, deciding to keep quiet so Ayden could recover. 

: _What did you do to my physician? I can feel his pain—and your guilt._ : 

Feeling his shame spike, Luke sent hastily. : _Well, he offered to help test out if he could hear me via the Force…_ : 

: _And you knocked him flat._ : was the immediate and _amused_ response. Luke huffed, hunching down and crossing his arms defensively. He was not pouting. : _Young one, you have far too much still to learn for you to be doing this sort of endeavor. As I am sure, he’s already suggested, do refrain from any more experiments involving the Force. At least, until I am there to supervise._ : 

Luke was very quickly coming to realize that he knew so little about the Force, about his father and… about this Sith Lord. Most of all, this ignorance was making him very vulnerable. And, he was really sick of feeling this way. 

: _I really want to talk to you._ : 

: _Patience, little one. Surely, Doctor Vax is keeping you entertained. He's certainly been indulging you when he should know better and I have felt a great number of emotional upheavals from you in the past hour; I have no doubt it is his doing. Doctor Vax has a tendency to shock beings a great deal._ : 

: _Some of those ‘upheavals’ are your fault, you know! Seriously, I can’t believe what you said about my father! And, what is the connection between the two of you?!Why did you betray and murder him?!_ : 

: _That is a topic we will discuss later._ : 

: _Why can’t we discuss it now? Because you can’t lie about it?_ : 

: _I have no reason to lie._ : Luke felt a surge of trepidation and anticipation mingle inside his chest at those words. : _I wish to be present when I tell you._ : 

: _Fine, okay._ : Luke sent, letting his irritation coat his first words before relaxing slightly. : _And, yeah, Ayden’s more than just kept me entertained. He’s told me a lot of stuff I didn’t know about. And, I know I can trust him because he can’t lie to me without me knowing. That’s why you had him talk to me, isn’t it?_ : 

: _Partially. And, while he cannot lie to us, Doctor Ayden Vax is a man of solid integrity. He prefers the truth over falsehoods. Even to those who would not know the difference, he would still be truthful. It is another reason he possesses my full confidence._ : 

: _Yeah, I can tell…_ : Luke smirked suddenly. : _So, are you really planning to overthrow the Emperor?_ : 

Luke didn’t miss the quickly contained wave of shock Vader felt. His smirk widened, turning smug. 

: _And, did he tell you that?_ : 

: _Nope, figured it out myself… and he did kind of heavily imply you’re not happy about what Palpatine has been doing. Since I doubt he's just going to listen to you even if you’re his right hand man; you’d take decisive action and simply kick him off the throne. That’s just something you’d do too._ : 

: _Doctor Vax has been far too talkative and you assk far too many good questions._ : came the clearly disgruntled—but impressed—answer. : _I need to conclude this meeting quickly; **you** are especially dangerous if left to your own devices. I suspect if I stayed away much longer, you'd have my doctor divulging information you are not allowed to hear._ : 

: _Whatever it takes so we can talk sooner,_ : Luke smirked. : _I want my answers and I want to see Artoo._ : 

: _Of course._ : 

Luke glanced up once he felt Vader withdraw. Ayden had sat up again and was merely watching him silently, although Luke spotted the slight crease around his eyes that spoke volumes of his lingering pain. 

“Sorry,” he repeated. 

Ayden smiled warmly. “Long forgiven, Luke. Besides, I did agree to this so it’s partially my fault for being a willing guinea pig.” 

Luke only offered a weak smile, still feeling very guilty. 

They were interrupted by the door leading into the dining room sliding open. Luke watched curiously as the droid trotted out, pushing the hovercart. Once again, the little robot paused to bow; Luke observing that it was more to him then Ayden before ambling over to park itself and its trolley neatly by the wall close to the doors leading out of the suite. Once finished in arranging itself, it shut off. 

“Done with cleaning and housekeeping, I see,” Ayden noted aloud. “We have been talking quite awhile, haven’t we?” 

Luke blinked. “Housekeeping?” 

Ayden looked over to him. “Cleaning the rooms, making your bed, taking out the laundry… in short, chores. I had it change the sheets as well.” He winked. “They may still be mostly clean but it’s always good to replace your bedcovers after recovering from injury or, especially, illness.” 

“Oh,” Luke wanted to hit himself with his palm. Of course. But the idea of someone else picking up after him was a very alien concept. He had had his own share of household chores growing up and had been taught to always pick up after himself. _Ayden’s nearly as bad as Vader when it comes to paying attention to the details,_ Luke mused idly. 

And, speaking of Vader… 

“Ayden?” 

“…Oh dear, you’re going to ask a hard question again, aren’t you?” 

“Yes.” 

Ayden sighed long and deep. “I reserve the right to refuse to answer. Ask.” 

“Did you ever meet Vader while you were working in the Senate of the Old Republic? Did you ever see him with my father? If you did, what was it like between them? What did you sense?” 

“…” Ayden went still and the look he fixed Luke with was the most penetrating stare Luke had ever endured under the man. “Why ask me this?” 

“According to Ben, Vader betrayed and murdered my father,” Luke explained softly. “In order to betray my father, they must have been good friends. Since my father was close with the Emperor; he must have met Vader through Palpatine, right? Vader would be close to Palpatine back then since he’s now his second-in-command. It’s no secret that Vader is the man Palpatine trusts the most; if he ever trusted anyone that is. Unless, Vader was a Jedi? Did you know if Vader was a former Jedi?” Luke ventured slowly. “But, if that was the case, wouldn’t Ben have said Vader betrayed the entire Jedi Order? He was very specific when he said Vader had betrayed and murdered my father.” 

Ayden said nothing. Luke could feel the man was clearly struggling over how he would answer. Luke let him gather himself and find the words. The Force was speaking too, singing loudly around him. Luke knew he was on the right track, but he was also unsure and slightly frightened of what he might find if he kept looking. At the same instant, he craved to finally solve the puzzle. 

“I never saw Lord Vader and your father together,” Ayden said finally. “No one heard of or saw Lord Vader until the formation of the Empire. By then, the Jedi were being hunted and, according to reports, your father was dead along with thousands of other Jedi. I remember the first time Lord Vader was presented, Emperor Palpatine made a formal announcement introducing him to the Imperial Senate about five days after the government was reformed. It was there he credited Lord Vader with the success of the Jedi Purge.” 

Luke shivered. “No one ever saw or heard of Vader before that announcement? Was he already in the suit when he first appeared? Has anyone ever seen what’s under the mask?” 

“No one ever saw or heard of Lord Vader until then. And, yes, he was already in the suit. If anyone has ever seen him without his mask, they’re not talking.” 

“Have you?” 

“I am his doctor.” 

Luke couldn’t help but smile. “You have.” 

Ayden only wordlessly inclined his head. 

“Palpatine trusted him already, right? What were the rumors about Vader when he first appeared?” 

Ayden pursed his lips, his tone even more cautious when he spoke. “Yes, I imagine he did. He gave Lord Vader more power than anyone else aside from himself. Even though Lord Vader has never held an official rank; he very clearly answered only to the Emperor and whoever the Emperor directly commanded him to follow. As for speculations, some people speculated that Lord Vader had been with Palpatine long before the formation of the Empire. Working for him on the sidelines; he had to be in order to be given the amount of trust and power he received when the former Chancellor become Emperor.” 

“Palpatine doesn’t strike me as a man who gives power or position just to anyone,” Luke murmured. 

“No, he doesn’t.” 

Luke let his head fall back onto the comfortable backrest of the couch, blue eyes staring unseeing into the ceiling. He was teetering on a precipice. Figurative but no less devastating if—no, _when_ —he fell. Did he _really_ want to know? He knew he would find out soon, very soon, whether he fell off the edge or took the leap. 

“Ben told me that Vader was his student…” 

Ayden went quiet and Luke waited patiently. “As far as I knew, the first and only padawan Obi-wan Kenobi trained was Anakin Skywalker. He was nearly as prominent as your father in the Clone Wars so this fact was publicized often enough on the Holonet.” 

Luke closed his eyes; the Force was growing louder, urging him to keep asking. “So do you—” he began very quietly and broke off, jumping to his feet reflexively when the double doors abruptly whispered open with as much warning as they had given him earlier. Namely, none. 

Darth Vader strode into the room. 

Luke wanted to hit himself with the pillow he had been holding; he had been so caught up talking with Ayden he hadn’t realized that the black sun of Force power had finally moved. Ayden had also risen at the sound of the doors, marching off the platform to wait beside the first step. He saluted once the Dark Lord came up to him. 

Vader switched his gaze from one to the other for a short moment before focusing on the Imperial doctor. 

“Have you concluded your assessment of his condition? Is he fully recovered and properly nourished?” 

“Yes, My Lord,” Ayden answered promptly. “He has responded exceptionally to the treatment and is now fully recovered; he has verbally confirmed that he feels no lingering weakness or pains. I have already transmitted the full medical report to your personal comlink frequency for your perusal unless you wish for me to give the report here.” 

“That is unnecessary,” Vader rumbled. 

“Understood.” Ayden nodded and finished crisply. “I have also personally attended him while he consumed his allotted meal and may attest that he has received ample nourishment.” 

“Good. You have performed your duties flawlessly as always, Doctor Vax. Leave us.” Vader’s helmet swiveled and he now fixed his gaze on the young rebel commander entirely. 

“Honor to serve, My Lord.” Ayden saluted again before turning to Luke and offering a small bow. “It was an absolute pleasure to speak with you, Luke. May you have a pleasant…” his keen gray eyes flickered to the chronometer “…evening.” 

Luke nodded. “Yeah, been a pleasure for me too.” He smiled warmly at the man. “Thanks for everything.” 

“You are most welcome.” Ayden dipped his head lower before he turned around sharply and strode towards the doors, waving at the droid. The robot reactivated instantly at his motion then obediently fell into step behind him. Stopping by the sealed doors, he entered a code into the control board and the panel lit briefly before the doors slid open with a soft hiss. Without a backward glance, he strode out, the droid in tow. 

Again, Luke took careful note of the small squad of Stormtroopers standing rigid outside (blasters once again trained on him) and, more importantly, their numbers before the doors closed. His count had been right; there were four guards stationed outside. 

Vader ignored the doctor’s departure, walked up the dais and stopped a few meters from Luke. He waved his hand. “Sit down, Skywalker. We have much to discuss.” 

“Yeah,” Luke agreed quietly, sitting and shifting so he faced the Dark Lord. “We do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ **1** ] Yes, the ‘Commander’ who sparklight showcases in Chapter 09. I got so fond of him since he was a rather ‘nice’ Imperial; I ended up giving him a backstory and a name.  
> [ **2** ] Ayden had to ‘seal’ his reaction to what Obi-wan told Luke—a technique Vader taught him. Thankfully. If Luke was better trained, it wouldn’t have worked at all. Good thing Luke isn’t trained; he wouldn’t have liked to feel what Ayden was feeling in that moment. As a father himself, he would be beyond pissed and shocked over the fact Luke believes Vader killed his father, it’s further exacerbated that this is clearly a Jedi plot so Luke would even kill his own father without hesitation. Don’t be fooled, Ayden has a Dark Side; he follows Vader after all.  
> Thanks to the changes of chapter 02. I had to scrap practically everything I had written before as this story severely diverged from my original plot. Hopefully, I could use what I had already written in other works (10k+ words wasted! T.T;). _Thank you_ , Lord Vader, for complicating my life so much.


	4. In Which Things Are Completely Not What Was Expected… Or Are They…?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
>  The long awaited talk between Luke and Vader...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  : _Words_ : - Mental communication  
>  _Words_ \- Thoughts

A heavy silence settled over them, and Luke Skywalker resisted the urge to pick up a nearby pillow and play with the cushion. It took some effort to resist but he managed and focused his gaze on the towering form of Darth Vader. 

_Great, he insisted he wanted to be physically present before we talked but now that he’s finally here; he’s doing his best impression of a stone statue again,_ Luke thought with sardonic humor. Realizing the Dark Lord was unlikely to start, Luke gathered his courage, and bolstered by his curiosity, said. “I’ve got a lot of questions.” 

“Indeed.” 

“And,” Luke continued determinedly, “you probably have a few of your own. So, how about we exchange answers?” 

“That is acceptable.” 

Luke quickly went over his mountain of questions. What could he possibly ask first? The most important? The most dangerous? 

Vader wordlessly crossed his arms, clearly letting Luke know he was waiting. 

_Easy question first,_ Luke decided. “Why did you have your personal doctor see to me?” 

“Because I do not trust other medical practitioners to the degree I trust Doctor Vax.” 

“Is it because he’s a Force-sensitive?” 

“Yes, his Force ability allows him to locate injuries or imperfections in the body where other doctors would not find them even with their vaunted technology. Even without using his Force Ability, he is an exceptional doctor; I personally attest to his expertise.” 

“Yeah, he’s really good. The fact we can tell he lies is it related to why we can’t lie to each other when we talk mentally via the Force?” 

“…you are very astute, young one… and you are indeed correct. His affinity to the Force revolves around emotions. While our minds can trick ourselves into believing lies, we can never lie about how we feel; at most, we can only conceal our true feelings. Emotions are pure and exist as they are. No emotion can exist when created from a lie.” 

“It’s when we act on them things get complicated, don’t they?” 

“Yes.” 

“If emotions are so pure why do we get confused by them and can’t tell them apart sometimes?” 

“This happens when you feel too many emotions at one time. It is a very powerful ability, to feel so deeply, and very dangerous. It will afford you great strength in the Force, but be warned. It can easily be turned against you if you do not master your emotions.” 

Luke suddenly, keenly knew Vader was speaking from experience. 

“Wait, aren’t we sending thoughts to each other when we talk via the Force? So why can’t we lie?” 

“A good question, child, and the answer is simple: it is not thoughts we sent or receive but emotions. The Force does not comprehend ‘words’, however, given the limited capacity of our minds, they interpret these emotions into words as our minds do not ’feel’ but ‘think’. Which is why it appears as though we are sending thoughts to each other. It is merely how the mind interprets what it receives from the Force. The Force is an energy field created by life. Life is not a collection of words but of emotions as life marches towards death.” 

Luke hummed. “Like that time, you got me so mad I was just sending emotion to you?” 

“Precisely.” 

“That actually makes a lot of sense, but I’ve never heard the Force being explained to me like that before. I was told that it was an energy field that is created by life and surrounds all life.” 

“And how many can tell you about the Force, little one? What you heard is the incomplete comprehension of the Jedi. It is only natural they would not consider what type of energy it is. It would enter a territory they have long refused to acknowledge. It is one of the many reasons they were so easily destroyed. Do you not find it hypocritical that the Jedi say to ‘Search your feelings.’ but, their greatest doctrine is to repress all emotion? As so aptly said in the beginning of their creed ‘There is no emotion; there is peace.’.” 

“…” Luke gnawed on his bottom lip as he considered his next question; surprisingly, the Dark Lord hadn’t asked him anything yet. “I know this is probably a stupid question but, I assume you’re not going to have me interrogated?” 

“Hardly,” was the rumbling—faintly amused—answer. “You are being quite cooperative.” 

Luke fixed him with a mild glare. “I’m willing to answer any personal questions you’ll throw at me but I am not telling you anything about the Alliance!” 

“I have no need of information regarding your petty resistance; your fleet has suffered substantial losses and even now the rest of my forces hound the remnants. The Rebellion is of little threat now.” 

Luke felt the ember ignite and become a flame of indignant anger. “It wasn’t petty enough to destroy your Death Star!” 

“That was not the Rebellion. That was you.” 

Luke had nothing to say to that. “So, you’re not interested in the Rebel Alliance?” he pressed. “You’ve been pursuing us relentlessly for the last three years.” 

“The Rebels no longer interest me; they are of little danger to the Empire now. And, I was pursuing _you_.” 

Luke scowled. “You shouldn’t underestimate them.” 

“What is there to underestimate? The only reason the Rebels became any sort of a threat is mainly due to you. It has been your actions which have dealt the most debilitating blows to the Empire. The Rebels had not been any matter of issue to the Empire until you joined. As you are no longer with them, they no longer matter.” 

“One man can’t decide the course of the entire war!” Luke protested. 

“That is where you are wrong.” Vader countered coolly. “A single man is more than enough; as long as he has the will and the abilities. That is the kind of pathetic reasoning the Rebellion is attempting to circulate: equality when it is clearly evident there are some beings who are far superior to others. It is why the resistance has had little success in the past.” 

“That’s the kind of arrogance that would lead to your defeat, Lord Vader!” Luke shot back heatedly. 

“It is not arrogance but knowledge and confidence of one’s own capabilities.” 

Sinking into the couch, Luke crossed his arms over his chest and glowered down at his lap. He didn’t want to admit it but some of Vader’s words had hit a chord. Memories of his encounters with the man rose in his mind. “…will I be shipped off to Imperial Center for execution?” Luke asked steadily, shaking his head slightly to banish the unwanted thoughts. 

“No. As I have told you before, child. I have no intention or desire to see you dead. Whether by my hand, or someone else.” 

“And why not? I am a rebel; isn’t it Imperial protocol to execute us?” 

“Not merely a rebel, despite what and who you believe you are.” 

Luke stared hard at the Sith Lord. “And what and who exactly am I?” 

“You are an extremely powerful Force-sensitive, possibly the strongest in the galaxy. And… you are the son of Anakin Skywalker.” 

It was time. Long past time. He wasn’t ready, he would _never_ be ready. It was better he never knew; he didn’t want to know—he wanted to know. He didn’t know if he wanted to know or not—But, he _would_ know, however, one way or another. It was only a matter in which way he chose discover the knowledge. Luke gazed into the red-tinted eye sockets. He hung precariously on the edge, would he fall or would he jump? He chose to leap. 

The words would not come… he couldn’t get them past the thick lump in his throat. 

He didn’t need words. 

: _Did you kill my father?_ : 

: _No._ : 

Luke slowly closed his eyes, letting this revelation wash over him. He had known the instant Ayden had told him that Ben had only had one pupil; the old man had lied about that so what else could he have lied about? Was this why Ben never spoke to him via the Force? Because he couldn't lie? 

The Force circling him was roaring, rising towards a crescendo; a strident rhythm, an ethereal drum thrumming in tandem with the pounding of his blood and the staccato beat of his racing heart. The answer was wrapped in those vibrating notes, he only had to follow the song, learn the lyrics… and Luke knew the question he had to ask. He squeezed his eyes tighter together against the knife of pain twisting deep in his chest, born out of Ben’s betrayal and the irrevocable truth he could feel was hovering just within reach— 

Luke took in a deep, shuddering breath. Steeled himself and… 

: _You were Ben’s student?_ : 

: _I was._ : 

: _You're Anakin Skywalker… you’re... you’re my father._ : 

: _Yes. I am your father._ : 

Luke let out a soft, inarticulate sound; a laugh, a sob, a sigh. The myriad of emotions: his disbelief, his horror, his _elation_ all came together into an indecipherable tangle of intense emotion. This was what Vader must have meant when he said that feeling too much could be a dangerous thing… 

Darth Vader—Anakin Skywalker— _ **his father**_ caught him when he sagged forward; moving to sit down on the couch beside him and letting Luke rest against his side; one arm drawing him close slowly, carefully. Luke leaned on him heavily. The armor was cold, hard—and comforting. 

: _How did you find out?_ : 

: _Like you said, search my feelings and trust them, so I did. Besides, the Force has been screaming at me for some time now about you. I just decided to finally listen to what it had to tell me. I wasn’t ready before._ : 

: _And, do you consider yourself ready now?_ : 

: _I don’t think anyone would be ever ready to hear something like this. It doesn’t matter. It won’t change the fact you’re my father; I’ll roll with it. I’m a Skywalker and we hardly ever take things slow._ : 

: _That we do not._ : 

Luke let loose a noise; a wavering laugh; the joy and pain in the sound so closely wound together he didn’t know where one emotion began and where the other started. 

Vader’s hold on him tightened protectively. It was still edged in that dark possessiveness but Luke didn’t care. Father and son sat, pressed together, letting the emotional storm run its course. Luke pushed away the new worries, the devastating ramifications and the dire consequences of this revelation. He would face them all—the choices, the decisions and the outcomes of whatever path he would ultimately walk—but not now. 

_Later_. 

For now, he just wanted to stay where he was. To simply bask in what he never dreamt he would ever have. It certainly wasn’t anything like his dreams; it wasn’t exactly the stuff of his nightmares either. A jumble of both—and it was nothing he had ever expected… A tiny, crooked smile tugged his lips upwards. 

_No more assumptions, Skywalker,_ Luke thought firmly but with a wry edge. _I think I’ve pretty much exhausted the realm of impossibility with this._

Silently, his father provided support and comfort that equally warmed and chilled. It wasn’t much, in fact, it was rather very little. Luke suspected his father was out of practice when it came to caring but it was more than enough for him. Tentatively, with surprising reluctance, he straightened and pulled away. Vader released him with equal slowness, he could have sworn he felt a whisper of hesitation as well. Luke felt so incredibly drained; he had far many more questions now but he knew he wasn’t up to asking and hearing all of them. 

: _Father…?_ : 

: _Yes, my son?_ : 

: _What now?_ : 

: _You will see your droid. As I promised._ : 

Luke smiled faintly. : _Thanks, I really do want to see Artoo. And afterwards?_ : 

: _You will rest. It may not be late but you have had a very long, and difficult day so you should sleep early tonight. No matter how resilient you are, little one, you need to let yourself fully accept this; we will talk further once you have rested._ : 

Luke nodded in agreement. : _It’s so easy to speak like this._ : 

: _It is primarily because we cannot have secrets, and it is very natural to us to converse in this manner. I imagine if we are not required to speak verbally; we would automatically resort to this mode of communication. The mindlink is not simply because we are Force-sensitives; it is because we are father and son._ : 

: _Just another clue I missed._ : 

: _I do not think you missed very much, my son. You discovered my connection to you easily enough. Even fully trained Force-sensitives would have not recognized this bond. Especially if it was the child since they would not know what to look for; the parent should know immediately._ : 

Luke studied his father curiously. : _When did you figure it out?_ : 

Vader let out an odd sound—a combination of a snort and a sigh. : _The instant I heard your name; I admit I was being willfully blind. While you did not recognize the signs, **I** ignored them. I had never thought you survived._ : 

Luke felt the familiar rearing of his curiosity. Vader instantly raised his hand. 

: _Those questions are for another time, young one._ : 

: _But I have so many!_ : 

: _I know. And you may ask them later. Now, that we are together; we have all the time to learn about each other._ : 

Luke felt a tiny, shy smile creep onto his lips. : _I’d like that._ : 

Vader rose fluidly. “I have already signaled for your droid to be brought. Once you have seen him, you are to rest immediately.” 

Luke barely stifled his snort of amusement over the idea of Darth Vader imposing a bedtime on him when he was nearly twenty-two before a tiny voice pointed out that it was exactly the sort of thing the Dark Lord of the Sith would do as a father. “I’ll see you later then… Father.” 

“That you will, Son.” 

Luke watched _his father_ —his mind was still reeling over this epiphany—stride down the platform and over to the doors. The two panels parted soundlessly for him and he swept out of the suite. The four Imperial troopers outside whirled swiftly (definitely far better trained than your average Stormtrooper, Luke observed in passing) to level their blasters on the youth who paid them no mind. The doors closed swiftly. 

Luke Skywalker laid back into the cushions of the couch, let his eyes fall shut, and only his quiet breaths were heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of what happened in the last chapter; I let the story run and it dictated a different kind version of ‘The Reveal.’ Luke has very good instincts, Obi-wan only had to drop a hint that he had a sister, and Luke easily figured out who she was. With all the blatant hints Vax threw at Luke in the last chapter, and the fact Luke and Vader have connected mentally I felt it was inevitable Luke would have realized this before he finally spoke with Vader. The Force certainly wouldn’t have let him stay ignorant for long.  
> It isn’t our classic ‘I am your father’ Reveal but I hope it was still good. :)  
> It isn’t as ungodly long as the last two chapters but I felt that Vader and Luke have been talking since chapter 02 all that has to be said (or asked) has already been done. The less important questions would be raised at another time; Luke has to absorb all of this first after all. xD  
> Only one more (likely short) chapter left! The long road is finally coming to the end!!


	5. In Which Things Are More Then What Was Expected…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vader's reactions with a dash of Luke and Artoo...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> _Words_ \- Thoughts  
>  (Words) - Artoo's binary as translated by Anakin/Vader.

Inside his Hyperbaric chamber, Darth Vader reclined comfortably in the massive leather seat of the sphere-shaped machine. The constricting helmet and mask were off, and his own blue eyes watched the viewscreen before him. Watched the boy. _His_ boy. 

Luke was enthusiastically greeting an equally exuberant astromech droid. The scene brought back memories he had long buried. But, this time, the pain was… missing. There was something else in its place. Vader could not—refused to—identify the emotion. 

How like his son, to be as fond of droids as his father had been. And, to have _that_ particular droid as well. 

The Force and Destiny truly were with his child. 

Vader had already skimmed the earlier surveillance recordings. The child’s wonder and delight over his quarters was highly satisfying but this pleasure came with a vicious sting. His son had deserved those luxuries the instance he had been born. His wife had lived in privilege, and he had certainly enjoyed a fair share of comforts and extravagances in spite of his austere life as a Jedi; naturally, their son should have received no less. And, while Vader was not fond of the opulence and wealth his station in the Empire garnered, his child was fully entitled to all of it. That his boy had been denied so much fueled the Dark Lord’s rage like nothing else had in decades. 

Vader looked forward to rectifying all of Kenobi’s transgressions. Luke was with him now, and with his father, the boy would stay. 

He was beyond pleased over the boy’s Force potential. The fact the child had instinctively reached so deep into the Force with little training and learned so very quickly with only snippets of advice and guidance… 

He would never have imagined the child would realize the connection between them entirely on his own; what was more shocking was how the child had accepted him so readily. Granted, there was still a part of his son that remained uncertain and wary of him but it was inconsequential. The boy was more than willing to give him a chance; eager to cement the bond between them. Vader could not allow such an opportunity to pass; he knew he owed this ease in which he would ensnare his son to Kenobi and his lies. He may have reclaimed his son with little effort but he was still seething over what had been stolen. All of the years lost. He had missed his son’s childhood, and to see where and how the boy had been raised… His hand balled into a tight fist. 

_Consider yourself infinitely fortunate, Kenobi!_ Vader spat venomously into the Force. _If I had been aware of the full extent of your treachery, I would have made you wish for death as I may never gift it to you for all the wrongs you have done me and, especially, my child. I would have left you alive and carved your crimes into your body repeatedly!_

What he had also not anticipated was his own reaction. Vader had expected the possessiveness; he was a Dark Lord of the Sith. It was natural to covet and, in all of the galaxy, if there was one person that had ever truly belonged to him; it was Luke Skywalker. Why shouldn’t he want and have what was rightfully his? 

He had not expected the _feelings_ the child invoked alongside the possessiveness. The protectiveness, the tenderness, the l… Vader violently threw his mind away even from the possibility of the word. He could not love his child. Love killed, he would never allow himself love again; it was far too dangerous. His love had been a weakness that had been exploited by Palpatine. A limitation he had not managed to remove from himself until it had been too late. His beloved Padmé had died, and he had lost his child for two decades because love hadn’t been enough. He could not afford to love with such perils as Darth Sidious present in the galaxy. Love would not keep his child safe; no, only power would. In that, Palpatine had taught him well and he would see to it that Luke learned this lesson quickly, for his sake most of all. Vader would not have his child suffer the same fate as his mother. 

He would not lose his son. 

He would not allow himself to be left alone. 

Never again. 

It wasn’t too surprising, he supposed, that he would be very protective of the child. Luke was untrained; so very vulnerable because he did not know how to use his vast Force ability. This grave oversight Vader laid at Kenobi’s feet. Although, it was also a blessing; the child would have no weak Jedi ideals hindering him. 

Still, he needed to begin teaching Luke, Vader had far too many enemies and few real allies; even if he had begun working to change the latter. There were still far too few individuals Darth Vader was willing to trust. Doctor Aphra, Doctor Ayden Vax and his sons, and Admiral Piett were some of the many he was cultivating. He had also begun carefully shifting through the ranks of the Inquisitorous; he had managed to acquire a fair collection of promising Force-sensitives who shared his disgust over Palpatine and his Empire. Palpatine had alienated many more than the man noticed throughout the years; Vader would certainly use this to his advantage. His 501st were utterly devoted to him and he would ensure Luke gained their dedication and loyalty as well. From what he knew of his son, it would not be very hard for his child to acquire the devotion of the men of Vader’s Fist. Vax, himself, was already clearly fond of the boy. 

_That_ , Vader thought ruefully, _is a double-edged blade. I may have to head off his habit in indulging Luke. Force knows what Luke can convince him to condone next._

It was very fortuitous that Luke could easily engender such emotions in others as his son would need all of the protections and more that Vader and his allies can provide. The three long years had verified this irrefutable fact; his boy had inherited _both_ of his parents’ penchant for finding (and running headlong into) dangerous situations. 

Vader simply knew that keeping his child safe would prove to be a very grueling task. 

What had left him shocked, however, was the fact the boy had so easily unearthed the true heart of Vader’s endgame. That Vader intended to dispose of Palpatine; although the boy never realized this not simply for the Empire and the galaxy but especially for his own benefit. His son would never be safe as long as Darth Sidious breathed. Luke had not seen his own desire but Vader had certainly grasped that his boy was secretly very amendable to the prospect of removing Sidious. 

Vader had honestly believed he would have to slowly entice his child to him; he had assumed his son had been poisoned against him by Kenobi so thoroughly he faced a slow, arduous struggle in order to reclaim Luke. Apparently, the Jedi had severely miscalculated; their foundation had been built on lies. 

Yes, his plans would need to be adjusted. 

This called for a far different approach. 

That was acceptable; Darth Vader was always ready to improvise and adapt accordingly. 

The Dark Lord leaned back comfortably and focused on the viewscreen; to watch a very interesting exchange taking place. 

The little droid was gently prodding his son toward the doors; whistling and beeping stridently. While, to Luke, it was a barely comprehensible song of binary; to Vader… 

(We should leave; I can get us out of here. C’mon, Luke! Think you can remove this restraining bolt?) 

“No, Artoo. I… I can’t leave.” Luke whirled around to rest his hands on the dome, pushing back gently but firmly. “Easy, easy let me explain!” 

Artoo halted and expressed his disbelief. (Why not?!) 

“Because Darth Vader’s my father. He’s Anakin Skywalker.” 

Artoo went still, the single eye swirling through its entire spectrum of colors before the R2 unit loosed a cacophony of shrill sounds that had his son cringing and covering his ears. (WHAAAT?! VADER IS ANAKIN!?! WHAT IN THE MAKER DID THOSE IMPERIALS GIVE YOU?!) 

“I know it sounds crazy…” Luke said loudly, hands still over his ears. "But it's true, I swear!" 

(Yes, it is crazy! This has to be some twisted Imperial ploy! I knew I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight! I bet they must have drugged you, or is this some sort of mind control; this is illogical, even for you! Blast it, my sensors can’t analyze biological data; I need to get a Medical droid to run a full medical scan on you…) 

“But I know it’s true; the Force tells me it's true!” 

(Oh, that explains everything. The Force. Forgive me if I’m skeptical, but you’re not exactly what I would call _trained_! Anakin was trained and he didn’t exactly have a sterile record of interpreting the Force correctly! He didn’t do things properly either but that wasn’t important in the end because he succeeded. Most of the time…) 

“Look, I’m not drugged or anything. I’m in my right mind and I’m saying this is the right thing to do!” 

(You’re a Skywalker, that’s a very rare state of mind for you.) 

“C’mon, Artoo, trust me for once. I know what I’m doing!” 

(…that just made me not want to trust you at all. I need to get rid of this restraining bolt somehow; I have got to get you back to the Rebel Alliance. Maybe the Princess, Captain Solo, Chewbacca, heck, even Threepio, can talk some sense into you!) 

“Something tells me you’re not convinced.” Luke sighed explosively, throwing up his hands in frustration. 

(You think?!) 

Luke knelt before the little astromech and rested his palms the silver dome; staring at Artoo earnestly. “Please? Just let me try to do things on my own. I don’t need to be rescued this time. Besides, I don’t think you’d want to get on the bad side of Darth Vader, right? I bet that restraining bolt would be the least of your worries if you try anything.” 

(I wouldn’t want to get on the bad side of Anakin Skywalker either. Your father was vindictive even back then.) 

“Okay? …Promise you’d work with me on this?” 

Artoo went silent and Luke waited patiently, keeping his pleading gaze fixed on the astromech. 

_Apparently, even droids were not impervious to that beseeching look,_ Vader mused with a ghost of a crooked smile. 

(…fine. I’ll just save you like I did your dad whenever he got into more trouble than even he could handle. At least, you’re not half as bad as he was.) 

“Thanks! You won’t regret it!” 

(Most of the time. Maker help me. I am going to need it.) 

Vader snorted, chuckling lowly. Yes, Artoo had changed very little in the intervening years; still as quirky and as peculiar as ever. He made a special note to double check the restraining bolt himself after the droid finished its visit with his son. Just in case. It was better to be paranoid when it came to that little R2 Unit. 

Shortly, the senior engineer assigned as Artoo’s ‘keeper’ returned to take the astromech back to the hanger. Vader observed how his son easily endeared himself to the man with his heartfelt concern over his droid’s care and the sincere appreciation he offered the officer for watching over his little friend. The boy had definitely inherited his mother’s charm; Vader knew he hadn’t been this easy to like. Ever. 

_According to Dooku, I am very abrasive,_ Vader smirked at the memory of that taunt. _One of the few times I ever agreed with the man._

He really should teach his boy how to shield himself properly too—he had been serious when he told the child that he was shielding extensively to keep the boy’s emotions and his magnificent Force Presence from broadcasting across the galaxy. But, for now, he had no wish. The child’s emotions were addicting. Especially now. 

Luke was practically giddy over the discovery that his father lived; there was still the undertow of horror, the thick layer of uncertainty and wariness, the sharp edge of resentment and anger over the lie he had been told. But, all of these were smothered by his yearning, his wonder and, most of all, his joy. The boy’s feelings were unbridled, untamed, untainted. 

He had never encountered such an emotional creature—It was partially because of his immense Force potential that all of Luke’s feelings were so easily sensed. And, it was likely because of him that the child felt everything so keenly as well. It amazed him greatly how much Luke took after him and Padmé; the child had so much of both of them and yet was still so distinctly his own person. 

He smiled, uncaring of the ever-present painful stab of his scars stretching. Luke was so clearly his mother’s son. He had her slim frame, inherited the shape of the nose, the softer curve of the cheekbones and general features, the stubbornness, the effervescent kindness, the dedication to foolish, idealistic causes… Yes, Padmé Amidala lived in her child. 

But, more importantly, he was his father’s son as well. The same hair, the matching eyes, the reckless nature, the mechanical competence, the superb piloting skills, the unbelievably powerful Force-sensitivity. Most of all, Luke loved, hated and felt as fiercely as his father did. Thus, his loyalty and devotion would be above question, beyond reproach, once it was secured. Vader had every intention of attaining this prize. There was little else left in the galaxy he wanted more; even his ambitions were second to this desire. 

Vader’s mouth split into a real grin, one he hadn’t worn in decades. He hadn’t had the urge or the reason. 

Yes, the child was, indeed, the best of both of them. 

Luke was so much more then what Vader had imagined his unborn child could have been. More than fancy, more than speculation… 

He was _real_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have a new appreciation for Vader/Anakin’s PoV. I can actually give Artoo a full ‘voice’ in his PoV as Vader is our consummate Binary-interpreter. xD  
> Yes, this is as far as it goes. I know it could go further but Darth Vunny vanished after this scene (only to be replaced with another Plot Bunny for another chapter of sparklight’s fanfic.)  
> Thank you very much for reading, and a special thanks for those who leave a Kudos and all the more for any reviews. Constructive criticism is more than welcome! =) I hope the ride was an enjoyable one, at least. Even if it was somewhat winding…
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the read, especially, sparklight. As promised, I’ll tell you the next chapter of your story I’d like to give a try ‘continuing’ to a degree: Chapter 03. Yep! Cymoon 1! Hopefully, this time my Vader doesn’t make an unexpected visit in my mindscape and mess with the plot. I can only keep my fingers crossed. xP

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Family Principals](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6542194) by [planningconquest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/planningconquest/pseuds/planningconquest)




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